Meaghan
by Amanda Hawthorn
Summary: For a moment he just watched her. This woman had given him two beautiful daughters and there were no words to describe how much he loved her. Sequel to Caitlin
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Burn Notice still doesn't belong to me unfortunately**

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who read Caitlin, the prequel to this story and asked me to write a sequel. I wasn't going to write this yet but I needed something for myself to balance out all of the angsty one shots that are in my mind after the new episodes.**

**As always a huge thank you to my friends Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for reading through early drafts of this. Also you have them to thank for the title!**

_**For a moment he just watched her. This woman had given him two beautiful daughters and there were no words to describe how much he loved her**_

Meaghan

There was something so comforting to have the feel of his young baby nestling against him, even though she had kept both him and Fiona awake for the last few hours. Lifting her to his shoulder he patted Meaghan's back lightly, hoping that the gentle rhythm would relax her enough so she would drift back off to sleep.

He had watched every moment of her development with as much fascination and wonder as Fiona had. The day Meaghan looked up at them both and smiled they had spent the next hour trying to make her do it again. Little did they know that all it would take was for their eldest daughter to play peek –a-boo with her to lift her lips into a smile.

Now, even though he and Fiona were totally exhausted he didn't think he would ever change this whole experience for anything. They'd both taken it for granted that Caitlin came to them already having gone through all of the early stages, so experiencing everything with Meaghan made their love for both daughters all the more special.

"Hey," Fiona's voice sounded behind him and he turned around slowly to smile at her adoringly.

"I thought you were going to get some sleep."

Meaghan mewed against him and he nestled her closer, her warmth sending a surge of love through to his heart. He had no idea that having a small baby would render him powerless or incapable of leaving her for any amount of time. Since her birth he'd become virtually inseparable from his three girls, and he didn't even want to think of a time when he would inevitably have to leave them, albeit briefly.

"I managed a few minutes," she told him with a smile as she moved up behind him to kiss him in between his shoulder blades before placing a soft kiss onto Meaghan's head.

Moving around them she took a glass out of the cupboard and walked across to the fridge to pour herself some orange juice. Gulping the liquid down she kept her eyes on the man she loved. He was gently rocking back and forth, his movements settling the baby cradled against him. He'd been a calming influence on all of them, especially now that Meaghan was approaching her eighth week of being in the world.

Fiona still kept looking over her shoulder whenever they were out and she sometimes felt that she was being a little too cautious. Her eyes drifted towards the drawer in the kitchen where she'd stuffed her mother's congratulations card, still unopened. She just couldn't bring herself to pull the flap open and read whatever words her mother had conjured up in an effort to try and bury the past…she just wasn't ready.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice Michael's approach until he placed a hand on her arm. "Hey, you okay?"

Her eyes shot to his and she nodded quickly, swallowing the lump in her throat. Placing her glass into the sink she turned back around and smiled up at him. "You want me to take her?"

Michael's eyes drifted over her tired face and he knew she was far from okay. "She's asleep again," he told her in a whisper as he glanced up at the clock. "We've got a couple of hours before Caitlin's up…come on, we could all do with some extra sleep."

Nodding Fiona held onto his hand as he led her back towards their bedroom, the contact causing her to feel a little more connected to him. She knew they were both far too exhausted for anything intimate and she hadn't felt ready to embark on anything physical…she just missed… _him_.

Once they got back to their bedroom, Michael placed Meaghan into her crib and gently pulled her covers over her before he turned back to the woman who was climbing into bed.

For a moment he just watched her. This woman had given him two beautiful daughters and there were no words to describe how much he loved her. Moving across to the bed he pulled duvet back and climbed in beside her, shuffling across so that they were face to face.

"Hey," he whispered with a smile, moving closer to place a soft kiss onto her lips, keeping his touch light.

Fiona's lips lingered against his as she sighed into him. When he slowly pulled away she gazed across at him and smiled before she wrapped herself around him and laid her head against his chest. His warmth seeped into her and she took a few moments to lose herself in the feel of his skin against hers.

Since she had been so big with Meaghan she _had_ missed the physical contact with him. She hadn't been overtly responsive in the lovemaking department in the latter part of her pregnancy, and now that she had her body back she wanted to feel that connection with him again.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a whisper as his fingertips danced over her arm. He knew something was bothering her, even though she always insisted that there was nothing wrong, but she seemed…distracted.

Fiona sighed against him and nuzzled her cheek against bare chest before she lifted her head to look up into his eyes.

"I want to be…me again," she told him honestly as she slowly lifted herself up onto her elbow so she could see him better. "I just…want us to be…us again, I guess."

Lifting his hand he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and moved his head upwards to press his lips to hers in a brief, soft kiss. When he pulled away he smiled up at her and watched the slow smile blossoming over her lips before he pulled her down to him, kissing her again.

Fiona felt her whole insides melt when his fingers skimmed her sides, the movements causing her to deepen their kiss. She wanted this intimacy with him again. She wanted to feel connected and she just couldn't explain the sheer force of feelings that flowed around her right now. This was more than knowing he loved her, this was all about feeling it too.

Pulling his lips from hers Michael tried to slow things down and skimmed his fingertips across her cheek.

"Fi…"

"It's stupid I know," she sighed heavily, laying her head back down onto his chest. "I just feel…I don't know how I feel."

Kissing the top of her head, Michael pulled her a little tighter, hoping their closeness would ease her worries away. His mother had warned to him that this could happen before he brought Fiona and Meaghan home from the hospital. He could still hear her words resounding inside his head and it seemed that now what she'd told him was right.

He'd known something was wrong weeks ago when he'd woken in the middle of the night to find the bed empty. When he'd gotten out of bed and gone into the family room nothing could have prepared him for what he'd seen in there.

"_Fi, what are you doing out here?" he asked as he moved further into the room to sit down onto the couch beside her. _

"_She wouldn't settle," she told him through a shaky voice when she looked down at the baby in her arms. "I didn't want her to wake you."_

_His eyes skimmed over her tired face, noticing instantly the dried tear tracks that highlighted her skin. Shifting a little closer he placed a gentle hand onto her shoulder and squeezed it to gain her attention. _

"_If she woke me it wouldn't make a difference," he told her softly when he looked down at their sleeping daughter. "I don't want you sitting out here on your own."_

_Fiona's sudden tears startled him and for a few moments he didn't know what to do. Acting on instinct he slipped an arm around her and kissed the side of her temple, hoping his closeness would soothe her but it didn't._

"_I came out here to feed her…and when she wouldn't settle…" shaking her head she sniffed back the tears and swiped across her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's going to sound stupid but I…I wanted to be in there…with you…"_

"_Then let's go back to bed," he told her softly as he moved off of the couch to take Meaghan from her arms to hold her against him. _

_Fiona nodded slowly and pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes, wiping the moisture away. Standing up she followed him wordlessly, peering into Caitlin's bedroom first before she made her way into their room._

_He'd held her against him for a long time afterwards, spooning against her back with his arms encircling her waist. Their closeness had seemed to be what she'd needed that night because she'd awoken a few hours later with a sparkle in her eyes._

"We're still the same people," he whispered against her ear when he pressed his lips into her hair. "Nothing's changed…not for me."

"I know," she sighed as she turned her head to press a kiss onto his chest she tugged him closer and closed her eyes. "It just seems so long since…we…"

"It's okay," he whispered, finally understanding what all this was about. No they hadn't made love in months but that didn't matter to him right now. Holding her tighter against him he nestled his lips against her temple and sighed into her hair. "None of that matters to me."

Closing her eyes, Fiona sighed against him and relished the feel of his arms around her. Opening her eyes again she focused on the underside of his chin, "I…miss you…"

Her words surprised him and he inclined his head so that he could see her face. His eyes met hers and for a moment he was lost in her gaze. Lifting his fingertips to her cheek he laid his palm against her face and smiled. "I'm right here."

"I know."

"I'm not going anywhere," he told her, repeating the same words from months ago. "Fi—"

"I know," she told him again, her breath coming out on a sigh. "I don't know what's wrong me. I never experienced anything like this after Caitlin."

"You never had a chance to," he told her softly. "It's different now; you'll never have to go through that again."

"Try telling that to my paranoia," she told him lightly, her lips lifting into a tight smile. "I watch everyone just in case they're friends of hers."

"Paranoia?" he chuckled, taking this lapse in her mood as a good sign. "You're starting to sound like me!"

"Yeah, that's what your mom said," she grinned. "She didn't exactly word it that way…"

They slipped back into silence again when he danced his fingers over her skin. Her warmth seeped into him causing him to relax his hold as a sudden thought came to him. "Maybe we should go out somewhere."

Fiona's hand stilled on his chest and she lifted her head to look up at him incredulously. "Meaghan's a little young for an outing. I—"

"No, I meant just the two of us," he told her with a smile. "You know, like—"

"A date?" she grinned, her voice cutting through his.

"Yeah, okay…a date."

"You and me?" her smile was infectious, the sadness of only moments ago all but forgotten. "Do you think your mom could handle the girls on her own?"

"You're kidding right?" he grinned, his lips grazing her temple. "She's been throwing hints every time she's over here!"

"Yeah she has hasn't she?" Fiona smiled. "Maybe we could be okay to leave her with them for a few hours."

"And I'll ask Sam," he nodded, his mind already formulating what he was going to say to his friend when he felt her shift beside him again. Looking down at her he smiled when she reached for his hand and pressed a kiss into the centre of his palm before she turned onto her side, pulling him with her. Shuffling closer he moulded himself against her back, holding her against him and focusing on the sound of her breathing until he eventually closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him.

000

"Mammy look at Meaghan she's splashing me," Caitlin squealed when her baby sister kicked her feet into the bath water they were sharing.

Fiona grinned as she held onto her youngest child who kicked at the water harder, the splashes covering Caitlin who pulled a face when water dripped from her hair. Fiona leant over the tub and transferred Meaghan onto one arm, holding her securely while she scooped bath water up in her free hand to rinse the baby soap from her delicate skin. Meaghan slammed her foot down into the water again to send another large splash upwards, this time covering Fiona. Glancing up at Caitlin she met her smile with a bright one of her own. "It looks like she's getting me wet too, baby."

Caitlin beamed a smile up at her mother and picked up a plastic duck from behind her and laid it onto her sister's belly while she poured bubbled water into several empty bottles. She looked back at Meaghan who was watching her every movement while she smiled at her.

"Do ya want one a me bottles?" she asked as she picked up an empty one and put it into the water for her sister.

"She's a little too young to play yet sweetie," Fiona told her softly. "Maybe in a few weeks when her muscles are stronger."

"Okay," Caitlin sighed, slightly disappointed that her baby sister couldn't do many things yet. "Can I help ya ta wash har hair mammy?"

"Of course," Fiona told her with a smile as she manoeuvred Meaghan around so that her head was facing Caitlin. Peering down at Meaghan from behind, Caitlin's bright smile caused the baby to reach for her. Meaghan squealed with delight, something that surprised both Caitlin and her mother. They both shared a look of amazement that quickly melted into laughter when Meaghan reached up for her big sister, grabbing hold of a clump of her hair to pull her down towards her. Caitlin giggled and kissed the baby, pressing noisy raspberry sounding kisses all over her face until she untangled her hair from Meaghan's fingers.

"She laughed at me," Caitlin beamed when she looked up at her mother with wonder in her eyes. Holding her palm out she watched intently when Fiona squeezed a blob of baby shampoo into it before she carefully splodged it onto Meaghan's hair and massaged it gently over the baby's soft scalp. "Do ya think she's goin' ta have hair like me?"

"I think so baby, you both have your daddy's hair," Fiona told her with a smile when she carefully helped Caitlin to rinse the shampoo off.

"Didn' daddy need it anymore?" Caitlin's voice was full of innocence when she carefully scooped water up and poured it over Meaghan's hair, unaware of Fiona's soft laughter.

"I meant you both have the same colour hair as your daddy," Fiona smiled despite Caitlin's confusion and she didn't think she would ever tire of her daughter's questions.

Caitlin had been a huge help and she adored the new baby, she just hoped that as they both grew older they would share the same bond that she'd had with Claire. Moving onto her knees Fiona sat Meaghan back up and watched her two daughters interact, feeling more contented than she had been in a long time.

When she'd got up that morning she'd felt so much more relaxed than she had been before. Michael was running errands for her and she was feeling so much more at ease with everything else. It had been almost eleven months since she'd last bid a hasty farewell to her mother and Marie, and since then the only contact she'd had was when she received the card from her a few weeks ago.

Meaghan had only been just over two weeks old then but when that letter had arrived just the sheer presence of it set her whole body on edge. She knew Michael hid it away from her, and he never mentioned it again after that until he was rooting for some pens in the drawer and found it.

_She'd forgotten all about it until one Sunday afternoon when she was in the family room with her two little girls tucked within her arms. Caitlin had her school book open in her lap and was following the words with her finger as she read, totally oblivious to what was going on around her._

"_Hey, Fi," Michael spoke her name and pulled the sealed envelope out of the drawer. "Your mother's letter's still in here."_

_Looking down at the baby in her arms she lifted her eyes up to his and suddenly felt her body grow cold. Shaking her head she unconsciously pulled Meaghan and Caitlin closer to her, resting her cheek on the top of Caitlin's head. _

_Her reaction was enough for Michael to look down at it and contemplate just throwing it in the trash but he didn't. Instead he stuffed it back into the drawer and buried it under a pile of papers, hoping she would forget that it was in there._

Meaghan's soft coos brought her back to the present and she couldn't help the smile that littered her face. These two little girls were everything to her and she had survived through it all, despite all of her family's interference.

"Time to get you out," Fiona beamed when she lifted Meaghan out of the tub to lay her on her towel covered changing mat. Lifting the edges of the towel over Meaghan she grinned down at her baby daughter who was too busy looking up at her big sister who was peering down at her from the side of the tub. Meaghan kicked her legs and squealed loudly every time Caitlin disappeared only to pop her head over the top again.

"I'm here…" Caitlin grinned when she reappeared over the top of the tub again. Meeting her mother's eyes she grinned across at her and smiled as she rested her chin onto the top of the tub. "Do I have ta get out too mammy?"

"You can stay in until the water drains," she grinned, knowing that Caitlin liked to slide around the bath in the bubbles when the water had gone.

"Yessss," she giggled when Fiona pulled the plug, instantly splashing into the remaining water that hadn't drained away.

Shaking her head, Fiona turned her attention back to her youngest child and broke out into a bright smile when the baby beamed up at her. Lifting her upwards Fiona held the baby against her, placing kisses onto her cheek as she grabbed hold of the edges of the wet towel and whipped it away before reaching for a dry one to toss it over the mat.

She heard Meaghan cooing and glanced down at her to see her eyes fixed on Caitlin who was sliding backwards and forwards in the bottom of the bath. "Are you watching your big sister? What's she doing huh?"

Caitlin lifted up onto her knees and leaned her elbows onto the edge of the bath, moving towards her sister to kiss her. "Boo," she grinned as she moved backwards only to move forward again, kissing Meaghan before she could make a grab for her hair.

Lifting the baby upwards Fiona held her a little way above her and then lowered her down to kiss her soundly before she laid her back onto the towel. Grabbing some baby talc she peppered some over Meaghan's stomach and legs before she started to rub it over her skin, tickling the little girl as she did.

"Has the water all gone yet baby?" she asked when she placed Meaghan into a clean diaper. Glancing over the tub she watched in amusement when Caitlin slid along the bottom of the bath, bubbles all over her.

"Not yet," she giggled pretending that the bottom of the bath was too slippery. "I'm slidin'."

"I can see," Fiona told her with a smile as she returned her attention back to Meaghan and took hold of a tiny foot to rub baby talc in between her daughter's toes. "You'll have to come out soon," she spoke without looking up. "Daddy's coming back with nana and Uncle Sam."

The second she heard Caitlin stop her movements she knew that Sam had peaked the little girls interest. Reaching across to the pile of towels she pulled one across to her and held it open, knowing that Caitlin wouldn't be far behind.

Caitlin stood up and started to climb out of the bathtub before stepping into the fluffy towel that Fiona held out for her.

"Can you dry yourself for me baby," Fiona asked her with a smile. "I'll go and get your sister dressed."

"Yep, I can do it meself now mammy," Caitlin beamed, her eyes bright with determination as she wrapped herself in her towel. "Are we goin' ta see if Meaghan wants ta eat real food today?"

Fiona stood up and scooped Meaghan up in her arms, kissing her cheek. "Not yet baby, she's still a little too small for that. She doesn't need anything extra to eat yet."

"Did I like ta eat food when I wa' little?" Caitlin asked as she dried herself, too distracted to see the flash of sorrow flare in her mother's eyes.

Holding Meaghan to her Fiona tried to control her breathing when she looked down at her eldest daughter. She hadn't been there with her for those early years and even though it had been out of her control, she still felt guilty none the less.

To her immense relief she heard the front door open and familiar voices floating into the room. Caitlin looked up at her mother and moved towards her, hurriedly drying herself.

"Daddy's back," Caitlin told her excitedly as she struggled to keep the towel wrapped around herself. Looking up at her baby sister she moved forward and kissed her bare foot. "Come on mammy, we need ta get dressed."

000

Michael was placing fresh blueberries into the fridge when Caitlin came into the kitchen and spotted her Uncle. Squealing Sam's name she ran towards him and threw her arms around his neck when he scooped her up into his arms.

"Hello to you too li'l darlin'," he grinned as he kissed her cheek soundly before pulling back to look at her. "You get prettier every day."

Caitlin giggled and placed both of her hands on either side of his face before she moved in to kiss him before pulling back to look at him.

"Meaghan can laugh now," she told him excitedly. "She kicked water all over me an' laughed."

"She did huh?" Sam asked incredulously. "Is that why your nana's taking so long with your mom?"

"Nope," Caitlin grinned as she shook her head. "Nana's playin' wit' Meaghan so mammy can get dressed."

"Caitlin, there's some blueberries here for you," Michael told her when he tipped some into her favourite bowl. "You want any cereal?"

Lifting his eyes to his little girl Michael could already feel himself melting when he saw her. She was so much like her mother in every way, even down to her mannerisms. She had already wrapped Sam so far around her little finger and he knew she only had to flutter those long eyelashes of hers and he was putty in her hands.

"Can I just eat tha blueberries?" she asked with a smile when she pressed her cheek against her Uncle's, her eyes sparkling with adoration.

"Sure," Michael nodded and shook his head in amusement when his friend had seemed to lose all train of thought from what they'd been talking about just moments ago.

"You know honey, you'll start looking like a blueberry one of these days." Sam told her when he placed her back onto the floor so that she could move around to her father and climb onto the stool.

Turning to look up at Michael, Caitlin picked a blueberry out of the bowl and held it up to him, grinning when he bent his head for her to push it into his mouth. As soon as he placed his hand on her head briefly and started chewing she turned back to the rest of the fruit and picked one out for herself.

Sam watched her in fascination. She had only been with Michael and Fiona for a little less than a year, yet he couldn't remember the time when she wasn't here. She had impacted all of their lives in so many ways, her presence changing the man he had always regarded as his brother.

Watching silently he had witnessed so many changes in Michael over the last few months. He'd gone from the man who had thought only of the things _he_ had wanted to the man who wanted things for his family. Sam never thought all those years ago that he would have ever seen his friend settle down.

Madeline's voice accompanied by Meaghan's cooing caught Sam's attention and he turned to look in their direction. Moving forward he grinned down at the baby in Madeline's arms and reached out to stroke her cheek.

"Hey sweetheart," he told her, his eyes shining with adoration when the baby looked up at him. "There's that smile."

"You want to go with Uncle Sam?" Madeline asked her softly as she carefully transferred her into Sam's arms, noting how he immediately started rocked her from side to side. Shaking her head incredulously, Madeline turned her attention onto Michael who was currently placing a kiss onto his eldest daughter's head.

Caitlin inclined her head backwards and smiled up at him when he moved forward again and kissed her on the forehead before he stepped away and pulled one of Fiona's cups out of the cupboard.

"Are ya goin' ta come to tha shops with me an' mammy taday nana?" Caitlin asked excitedly. "We're goin' ta buy Meaghan some new clothes."

"Well honey how could I resist that invitation?" Madeline asked her with a smile. "We could stop for ice cream, my treat."

"Yessss," Caitlin climbed down from the stool and moved towards her grandmother, bouncing on the spot. "Can I have strawberry?"

"I think we could arrange that," Madeline told her with a bright smile before she caught the gleam in her son's eyes and she couldn't ever remember seeing him looking so content before.

"Mammy, nana said we can get ice cream," Caitlin gushed when her mother breezed into the room looking totally refreshed.

Michael lifted his eyes to hers, every other thought vanishing from his mind when he saw the woman he loved. She was wearing a white sundress that hid all traces of her recent pregnancy. His eyes drifted over her body as if he was seeing her for the first time, he'd forgotten just how beautiful she actually was.

Fiona held out her hands to her eldest daughter and linked their fingers as she moved from side to side. "Ice cream huh?"

"Yep, an' I'm goin' ta have strawberry."

"Now how did I guess?" Fiona grinned. "Did you have your breakfast?"

On Caitlin's enthusiastic nod Fiona bent down and kissed her soundly before smiling at her. "Go and brush your teeth baby and then you can put your shoes on."

"Okay," Caitlin beamed excitedly as she let go of her mother's hands and dashed off towards the bathroom.

Turning back around Fiona felt herself blushing beneath Michael's gaze and for some unfathomable reason she couldn't seem to escape his eyes. Meaghan's cooing caught her attention and she moved towards Sam to lift the baby into her arms before beaming down at her.

"Did you show daddy how you can laugh sweetie?" she asked, singsonging her words to bring a smile to Meaghan's face. Lifting her eyes back to Michael's she moved towards him and leaned into his side, the need to feel him close overtaking her senses.

Michael's arm slipped around her shoulder and he leant in to kiss her ear before he lowered his head to kiss the baby in her arms.

"Are you going to show me how you laughed for mommy?" he asked her, his voice bringing a smile to Meaghan's face. "_Are_ you going to show me?"

The more he talked, the wider Meaghan's smile became. She watched him intently her eyes following him when he moved in closer before she surprised him by making a noise that was between a squeal and a laugh. The noise she'd made caused her to jump until she opened her eyes wider and made the noise again.

"There it is," Fiona grinned, her voice bringing Meaghan's eyes to hers. Fiona gazed down at the baby in awe, her heart swelling with love. Bending to kiss her she pulled back and moved to Michael and handed her to him before placing a kiss onto his cheek.

"What about her feeds?" he asked when he nestled Meaghan against him. "Have we got any formula just in case?"

Shaking her head incredulously Fiona laid her head against his shoulder and bent down to press a kiss onto Meaghan's head. "I think your daddy needs to calm down."

"Fi—"

"I already took care of it Michael," she told him with a smile, shaking her head when realisation dawned in his eyes. "There's two bottles in the fridge ready to warm up just in case I'm not back in time…and yes I have my cell phone."

Michael nodded and opened his mouth to ask another question but she cut him off before he could ask it.

"Yes, it's fully charged."

Caitlin came back into the room and hooked a small bag over her shoulder before she came to stand beside her grandmother and held onto her hand. "I'm ready nana."

Madeline smiled down at her proudly and touched the tip of her finger to Caitlin's nose. "Okay, are we ready to go?"

"Yep!"

Michael shifted Meaghan against his shoulder and turned towards one of the draws to pull a ten dollar bill out of his wallet. Turning back around he caught his daughters eyes and crooked his finger, beckoning her towards him.

Letting go of Madeline's hand, Caitlin moved towards her father and grinned up at him as she placed a kiss onto Meaghan's hand. "Do ya want us ta bring ya some yogurt daddy?"

"No thanks honey, I have some," holding out the money towards her he watched her eyes drop down to it before her lips widened into a smile. "Go and buy a new book for us to read."

"Any one I want?" she asked excitedly as she took the money from him to look down at it.

"Yes, any one you want," he told her with a smile. "We can read it tonight."

Caitlin surged forward and wrapped her arms around his middle and grinned up at him. "I love you daddy."

Michael smiled down at her and laid his hand atop of her head, repeating the words back to her and watched in amusement when she moved away to pass the money to her mother to hold so that she could open her bag. When she un popped the clasp, Fiona pushed the money inside and watched with surprise when Sam moved forward to push another ten dollars into her bag.

"That's for you to buy whatever you little girls are into these days…pippy pocket or…that kinda stuff."

"It's Polly, silly," Caitlin beamed as she wrapped her arms around his legs before pulling back again to grin up at him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome honey," he told her as he patted her on the head. "Now you girls have fun."

Caitlin waved to Sam and Michael as she grabbed onto Madeline's hand and pulled her towards the door. Fiona picked her bag up from the chair and bent to kiss Meaghan's head before she lifted her head to press a kiss onto Michael's lips.

"I'll see you later," she told him softly, unable to keep the love from her voice.

"Later," he nodded, watching her when she turned away to walk towards the door, patting Sam's arm before she left, closing the door behind her.

Michael shifted Meaghan and gently patted her back before he caught Sam's incredulous gaze. Shaking his head slightly Michael ignored his friend's knowing smile and turned away from him to carry Meaghan into the family room, sitting down into his favourite chair.

"I'm just sayin' it looks a lot like you're domesticated—"

"Just get in here Sam," Michael scoffed, his lips merging into a smile when he held his daughter against him. Dipping his head he nestles his lips against Meaghan's forehead and ignored the comment from his friend who sat on the couch opposite him. Lifting his head he looked down into Meaghan's smiling face before he returned her smile. If this was being domesticated then he would take it any day…

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews on here and on twitter. Thank you for your PM's, favourite author and story adds. RL has been very hectic this week so I haven't had a lot of time to thank everyone personally. If I've missed you then please know that your reviews are very much appreciated and I value every one of them.**

**Huge thanks to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this for me and for being such wonderful friends. Also heartfelt thanks to all of my friends on twitter for being there for me this week, I appreciate each and every one of you.**

2

Michael watched his baby daughter intently as she fussed against him. Moving her in his arms he rocked her from side to side while Sam hovered around the kitchen waiting for her bottle to heat up. Casting his eyes downwards onto his daughter, he watched with wonder when her eyes opened wide before a slow smile emerged on her lips. Every time she smiled up at him he felt himself lose another piece of his heart to her.

"Just so you know brother, I ain't testin' this on _my_ arm," Sam called from the kitchen without looking behind him. "I love that little girl an all but I draw the line when it comes to Fi's…stuff."

Tearing his eyes away from the baby in his arms, Michael shook his head in amusement and regarded his friend who was holding the bottle in between his fingers like it was about to explode.

"I'll take care of it," Michael told him, unable to hide his amusement when he took the bottle from his hands and tipped it upside down until a few drops of milk fell onto his wrist.

"Well now I've seen everythin'," Sam grinned when he returned to the kitchen to pull a bottle of beer from the fridge.

Manoeuvring Meaghan so that they were both more comfortable, Michael held the bottle towards her and watched her intently when she turned her head away.

"Hey," he soothed softly, dabbing her bottom lip with a drop of milk from the bottle. "I know I'm not your mom, honey but she'll be back soon."

Hearing his voice Meaghan turned her eyes towards him and watched him intently while he spoke to her before she cooed up at him in reply. She was far too young to understand the effect she was having on her father, especially when he looked down at her with tears in his eyes.

"Are you going to try this?" he asked her again, offering her the bottle once more. When she opened her mouth and began to suckle he sighed with a mixture of relief and elation. Holding the baby close he smiled down at her and placed a soft kiss onto her head before he pulled back and watched her eyes closing as she drank.

"What's with the look?" Sam asked curiously when he came back into the family room and sat down onto the couch opposite him. Lifting his beer to his lips he took a long swig and swallowed it down before he watched his friend transform into a doting father.

"We haven't tried her with a bottle before," Michael told him, keeping his voice low as he spoke. "If she takes to it I can take over some of the night feedings and let Fiona sleep."

Sam lowered his bottle onto his knee and couldn't help the slow grin that lifted his lips. Shaking his head he couldn't even remember how only a year ago the man before him had been so career focussed. He'd heard that having children changed people but he'd never really believed it until he saw it with his own eyes. Michael and Fiona were happy, happier than he'd ever seen them before and it did seem like Michael's days of hankering after his old job were finally over.

"I want to take Fi out," Michael's soft voice brought Sam's attention back to him as he gazed down at the baby in his arms. Moving back into the chair he smiled down at Meaghan when she wrapped her tiny fingers around his thumb.

"That's…_different_ for you," Sam mused as he kept a watchful eye on his friend. "What happened to the old Mike who only wanted to get back into his job?"

Lifting his eyes to the man sitting opposite him, Michael smiled slightly before dropping his gaze back down to his daughter. "I realised that some things are more important."

"Well brother," Sam grinned and raised his bottle upwards towards his lips. "It's about time!"

Meaghan pushed the bottle out of her mouth with her tongue and scrunched her face up as she pushed against her father's hands. Taking the bottle away, Michael placed it onto the table beside him and propped Meaghan up, holding one hand over her tiny chest while he gently patted her back.

Once again Sam found himself watching his friend with surprise. He'd taken to fatherhood so easily and all of the little things like changing a diaper or burping the baby were like a second nature to him. Sam watched silently, feeling almost invisible when Michael doted over the tiny child in his arms and he silently wished that the fiasco with Fiona's family all those months ago was finally over.

With Meaghan settled against him, Michael dabbed remnants of milk from the corner of her mouth with a baby wipe before he scooted forward in the chair to stand up with her in his arms.

"I'm just…"

"It's okay Mikey," Sam nodded, a lopsided grin blossoming over his face. "Go and do your daddy stuff, I'll just..." he looked at his almost empty bottle and shifted forward from the couch, "…refill."

Keeping a close eye on Meagan Michael moved towards the bedroom to place her into her crib, taking extra care he gently lowered her down onto the soft mattress and kept his hand on her back. He gazed down at the sleeping baby and moved his hand up to her head to run his fingers over her mop of dark hair before he pulled the blanket over her tiny body. Switching the baby monitor on, he took one more look down at her before he tiptoed out of the room.

Sam was back in the kitchen getting another beer from the fridge when Michael came back into the room. Looking at his friend he nodded towards the bedroom before he handed him a bottle of water. "She asleep?"

Michael took the bottle from Sam's hand and glanced behind him before looking returning his gaze back towards his friend. "Yeah."

"I never thought I'd see the day when you two finally got your acts together," Sam told him with a wide grin. "She's good for you, brother."

"Yeah she is," Michael nodded as he focused on the bottle in his hand. "Listen Sam, I know it's a lot to ask but I want to take her out to—"

"Say no more brother," Sam nodded and patted him on the shoulder as he moved past him to head back towards the couch. "Just tell me when you need me and your mom to be here."

Michael's mouth dropped open before it merged into a smile. He should have known that Sam wouldn't miss a chance to be with Caitlin and Meaghan. "Thanks Sam…really—"

"Hey that girl deserves a night out after everything she's been through," Sam told him seriously as he lifted his bottle to his lips. "I take it you haven't mentioned Sean's letter?"

Michael's eyes snapped up to his friend before he clamped them closed and shook his head. Fiona was already having trouble sleeping and he didn't want to pile another worry onto her head. "No," he whispered before he opened his eyes. "She doesn't need any more stress right now."

Nodding slowly Sam's mind drifted back to a few days ago when Michael had confessed that he had something on his mind. The news had taken him aback slightly but after everything that had happened with Fiona's family Sam had known in the back of his mind that it wouldn't be over so easily.

_They had been sitting in the charger outside Caitlin's school when Michael had sprung his news upon him. No matter how many times Sam reran it over and over inside his head, he wasn't sure if he could ever have come up with a different answer._

"_I need to start looking for a way back in, Sam. Without the protection Fiona and the girls are wide open."_

_Sam's eyes widened in surprise when he looked across at his friend, his thoughts suddenly scattering in a thousand different directions by the determination in his voice._

"_Are you sure you really want to do this Mikey? You've got a family now?" Sam asked as he watched Michael's eyes cloud over._

"_I need to make sure they're safe," Michael told him with a heavy sigh, his eyes closing when he shook his head. "There's nothing more important than my family Sam, I just need to protect them."_

_Sam nodded slowly, not quite sure if Michael believed everything he was saying. In the last year he hadn't mentioned the CIA or being burned once. Taking a breath he looked up and stared Michael straight in the eyes and shook his head. _

"_Are ya going to tell me what all this is about brother?"_

_Michael was silent for a long time before he released the breath he'd been holding. Opening his eyes he met Sam's worried gaze and pulled an envelope out of his pocket. Looking down at it he handed it to his friend and sat back to watch Sam look up at him in confusion._

"_I got that from Sean a few days ago."_

_Hearing Fiona's brother's name, Sam turned the envelope over in his hand and pulled the letter out. Glancing up at Michael he saw the younger man nod his head towards him and turn his eyes away when he unfolded the paper. _

"_How do I tell her?" Michael asked quietly, his voice shaking as he spoke. "I can't land this on her now."_

_Sam's eyes flittered over the letter in his hands and tried to take in every word. He could already feel his worry slowly building when he read a name he'd hoped had long since disappeared. He read over the words another two times before he finally let out the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. Folding the letter he put it back inside the envelope and handed it back to Michael who turned around to gage his reaction._

"_You can't keep something like this from her," Sam told him softly. "Despite everything that happened Colleen is still Fi's mom."_

_Nodding his head slowly Michael stuffed the envelope back into his pocket and let out the breath he'd been holding. He knew Fiona had told him she never wanted anything to do with her mother again, but he knew if it was him he'd want to know if his mother was sick._

"_I know, believe me…she's just been so exhausted lately I don't want to add to it, she's already got enough to deal with."_

"_She has a right to know, Mike," Sam nodded. "If she still doesn't want to speak to her mom after you tell her then at least you can tell Sean you tried."_

_Michael listened to his words and lifted his head up, clamping his eyes closed. "It's not just her mom, you read Sean's letter…what if he's right and this thing with Marie isn't really over?"_

"_Then she needs to know just in case," Sam told him as he shrugged his shoulders. "Right now Fi's mom and brother are keepin' her in line but if anythin' happens to ma Glenanne..."_

_Michael opened his eyes and looked across to his friend and slowly nodded his head. He knew Sam was right, Fiona needed to know about her mother and the possibility that Marie was still obsessed with Caitlin._

"_I'll wait for the right time," he sighed as he looked down at his watch and towards the school gates. "Just not yet, Fi doesn't need the stress of this too."_

"_Whatever you say Mike," Sam told him, nodding his head in agreement. "Just don't wait too long."_

"You know Fi," Michael sighed, his voice bringing Sam's attention back to him. "She shoots me down anytime I try to mention her mom."

"Well have you thought about giving her the letter?" Sam asked. "Let her read it for herself?"

His words sparked a memory in the back of Michael's mind and he suddenly remembered the letter Fiona's mother had sent a few weeks ago. Putting his water onto the counter top he moved around to the drawer in the kitchen and pulled it open.

"We got a card from her mom," Michael told him absently as he rifled through the papers in the drawer until he found the envelope right at the bottom. Pulling it out he held it in his hands thoughtfully before he slowly shook his head. "You should have seen her Sam. She panicked and wouldn't let the girls out of her sight…if a letter from her mom is going to do that to her, what do you think me telling her I heard from Sean is going to do?"

"I don't know brother," Sam sighed. "But her mom is sick and after what happened with that nut case, Fi needs to know so she can be on her guard, just in case."

"I know," Michael nodded solemnly. "Believe me I know. I just…"

Sam swallowed hard when he saw the man beside him caught inside his own private nightmare. He knew the looming uncertainness of Marie still weighed heavily on him…it weighed on all of them. He just wished there was some way he could take all of the stress away.

"Listen, Mike…" standing up a little straighter Sam pointed his beer bottle towards the envelope in Michael's hands. "The way I see it you have two choices. You can either tell Fiona when she gets back and hope she doesn't kill you, _or _you can put that back in the drawer and take your lady out somewhere nice."

Before Michael could open his mouth to speak, Sam held his hand up to stop him. "Trust me brother, you know I'm right!"

Thinking about the last few days Michael sighed heavily and placed the envelope back inside the drawer and slammed it shut. They had never kept secrets from each other, not the personal kinds anyway, and despite Sam's advice to hide it a little longer Michael knew he couldn't do that, not anymore. Fiona deserved to know the truth and it was his job to take care of her, no matter what her reaction may be.

"You're gonna tell her aren't ya?" Sam asked knowingly. "I know that look."

Michael just grinned and rolled his eyes when Sam shook his head. Grabbing his water he turned away from his friend and made his way back into the family room, grabbing the baby monitor as he went.

000

"Mammy what abou' this one?" Caitlin asked when she picked up a little pink dress with palm trees on it. "It looks like Uncle Sam's shirt."

"Uh, yeah it does a little…except I don't think Uncle Sam would wear pink."

"I like pink," Caitlin told her with a bright smile. "Do ya think this woul' look nice on Meaghan?"

Fiona smiled down at her daughter and tried to look enthusiastic about the tiny outfit but before she could say anything Caitlin returned it to the wrack and darted across the aisle towards another selection.

"Look at all tha dresses," Caitlin gasped in awe as her eyes wandered across the different outfits. Moving towards one in particular she pulled it out and gazed down at it before holding it up towards her mother. "Mammy, can we get har this one?"

Fiona's eyes drifted across the little dress and she couldn't help but smile. "I love it baby, but we really need a bigger size. Is there a bigger one?"

Looking across at the other sizes, Caitlin placed the one she was holding back on the rail before she pulled a larger one out and held it out to Fiona. "Is this one better?"

Stepping closer Fiona ran her fingers over her daughter's cheek and smiled down at her adoringly. "That's perfect baby, I think Meaghan is going to look beautiful in it."

Caitlin placed the little dress into the shopping cart and smiled up at her mother with innocent eyes. "Do ya think we should get har some socks too?"

Before Fiona could reply, Madeline came towards them holding two t-shirts in her hands. Holding them up, one in each hand she grinned ecstatically as she waved then about. "Look at these, aren't they adorable?"

Caitlin looked from her grandmother and then to her mother wondering why the older woman was so excited.

"Look honey," Madeline told her as she stepped forward to hold the bigger t-shirt against her. "I got this one for you, it says 'big sister'."

The little girls eyes grew wide along with her smile when she looked down at it before she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. "Thank you Madeline, they're…"

"I know," Madeline beamed as her eyes dropped down to her granddaughter. "Can you see what Meaghan's shirt says honey?"

Shaking her head, Caitlin ran her fingers over the soft material before she took in the words across the smaller shirt. "It's tha same as mine."

"Almost honey," Madeline smiled. "Meaghan's shirt says, 'little sister'."

"Meaghan's me little sista," Caitlin nodded before she moved towards Madeline to throw her arms around her legs. "Thank you nana."

"You are so welcome sweetheart," Madeline told her with a bright smile. "Now what do you say we finish shopping and go and get that ice-cream?"

"Yesss," Caitlin grinned as she bounced up and down on the spot. "Can we mammy?"

Fiona's eyes took in her daughter's excited face and found herself nodding before she could even think of anything to say. It seemed as if this whole year had passed in a blur and she couldn't believe how much Caitlin had grown. Tracing her fingertip over her daughter's cheek she tapped her nose affectionately.

"Sure baby," she told her with a smile. "I think we're just about done here anyway."

Caitlin looked up at Fiona and grinned before she moved towards her grandmother and took hold of her hand. "I got a new book fer daddy ta read."

"You did huh?" Madeline asked her, her lips lifting into a smile. "Does it have anything to do with a cat?"

"Nope," the little girl told her with a bright smile. "A mouse."

"_A mouse?"_ Madeline asked brightly, over exaggerating her enthusiasm. "Well at least it's not a cat!"

Fiona watched in amusement when Caitlin proceeded to tell Madeline all about the new book and she almost felt a little sorry for her. She knew when her daughter became enthusiastic about a new book there was nothing that stopped her talking about it.

"Caitlin, why don't you go with nana and wait for me in the car?" She suggested when she could already see Madeline looking towards the exit. "I won't be long."

"That is such a good idea," Madeline told the little girl before she lifted her eyes to Fiona. "Meet you out front honey."

Fiona watched her daughter and Madeline walk towards the exit before she turned her attention to the rest of the store until she spotted what she was looking for. Turning the cart she made her way towards the lingerie section and smiled to herself when a plan formed in her mind.

000

The house was in silence when they arrived back later that afternoon. Calling Michael's name, Fiona carried her bags into the kitchen and placed them onto the table while Caitlin ran off in search of her father.

For a moment she could feel the automatic worry reaching its way into her mind but it all dissipated when she heard Sam's voice and the usual greeting between the two of them. The second Caitlin squealed with delight she knew she had overreacted again. The past few months had left her paranoid and watching over her shoulder for any signs of her deranged sister in law and she just couldn't seem to shake it off.

Berating herself for being so foolish she made her way into the kitchen and moved towards the kettle and switched it on. She had to move on and try to put the past behind her but when it involved her children she just couldn't seem to keep the nagging doubts out of her mind. With a heavy sigh she turned back around, heading towards the table to lift some groceries out of the paper bag she'd brought in.

"Hey look who's home," Michael's soft voice caused Fiona's heart to flutter when she looked up to see the man she loved carrying their baby daughter in his arms. "It's mommy."

Fiona's eyes lit up with love when she dumped the bag back onto the table and made her way towards him, kissing him on the lips before she bent her head to kiss the baby in his arms.

"Hey," she smiled, her voice dropping when she reached out to take their daughter from him. "Hello baby, were you good for daddy?"

Looking around the room he turned back to her in confusion, "Where's my mom?"

Fiona gazed down at the baby in her arms and lowered her head to place a soft kiss onto her forehead. "Water aerobics."

Nodding silently Michael watched her with adoration when she looked up at him with so much love in her eyes. He didn't think he would ever tire of seeing her like this. She had been through so much yet she was still one of the strongest women he'd ever known.

Stepping closer he rubbed his hand over her arm and smiled down at the little girl. "Meaghan drank from a bottle," he whispered proudly as he looked up and focused on Fiona's eyes. "I mean, not all of it but—"

"It's a start," she grinned, her voice singsonging to the baby in her arms. "And that means daddy can take a turn when you're hungry."

Michael reached out to stroke his finger over Meaghan's cheek before he pressed a kiss against Fiona's temple. "It also means that daddy can take mommy out."

His words caused Fiona's eyes to grow wide and she turned to look at him, a slow smile emerging on her lips. "Hmmm…and what did _daddy_ have in mind?"

Before he could respond, Caitlin came running into the family room propelling herself towards her father with her new book flapping in her hand. Michael turned towards her and lifted her up into his arms, balancing her on his hip.

"I got me new book daddy," she told him excitedly. "It's abou' a mouse an' we have ta find him in tha pictures."

"We have to find him huh?" he asked as he leaned forward to plant a kiss onto her cheek. "And have you found him already?"

Pulling back Caitlin shook her before she broke out into a soft chuckle when she looked him in the eyes. "Nope."

"Okay, we'll read it tonight," Michael told her when she pulled open the book to show him some pictures.

"Did you tell daddy about your gift from nana?" Fiona asked her when she placed a kiss onto Meaghan's head before lowering the baby into her bassinette in the family room. Peering inside she smiled down at the little girl who was looking at all the different coloured teddy bears on the mobile above her.

"Nana got me and Meaghan shirts an' ya know wha' it says on mine?" she asked excitedly, bursting to tell him. When he shook his head she wrapped one arm around his neck and moved her head closer to him, touching their noses together. "My one says Big sista, cos I'm a big sista."

"You are a big sister," he grinned, totally swept along with her excitement. "And what about Meaghan's?"

Gasping in a breath Caitlin leaned forward to kiss him soundly before she pulled back to lay her free hand on his cheek, keeping his head still. "It says little sista…cos she's a babby… do ya want ta see?"

"I would love to see them," Michael told her with a smile when he spotted Fiona taking a toy out of one of the bags. Caitlin followed his eyes and spotted the doll she'd brought with her extra money and all chatter about the new shirts was momentarily forgotten.

Caitlin gasped and hugged her father before he returned her to the floor. Turning back towards Fiona, the little girl bounced up and down on the spot when her mother rummaged around in the bags. Placing her book onto the table she took the toy doll from her mother and turned around to show Michael before she spotted Sam coming back into the room.

"Uncle Sam, look wha' I got with tha money ya gave me," she beamed as she took the boxed doll towards him. "Do ya like har?"

Sam reached down and took the box into his hands and regarded the baby doll, feigning interest with an enthusiastic smile before he handed it back to her.

"She's very…nice honey," he told her with a wide grin. "Do you want me to take her out of the box for ya?"

"Yessss," Caitlin beamed and shoved the box back towards him, following him towards the couch when he sat down. Coming to sit next to him, Caitlin started out sitting on the seat beside him but when he began to open the box and undo all of the plastic tags she moved onto the floor to kneel down, holding her hands on his knee.

Shaking his head Michael moved towards the bassinette and peered inside at his youngest daughter. She was still looking up at the teddy bears above her, cooing happily when they rotated above her head. When he stepped away and regarded his family around him he knew he had a lot to be thankful for. In a little under a year he'd gone from being a man who always thought he'd be alone to a man who had everything he never knew he'd wanted.

Fiona unpacked the items from the bags and laid them out to place them onto the table before she lifted her head to catch his eyes. He was gazing at her like a man hungering after his last meal and she could already feel her heart speeding up inside her chest. Over the last few months he had been a constant source of support, his steady presence causing much of her paranoia to disperse.

The blush forming over her face caused her to turn her eyes away and she lowered her gaze back onto her purchases, hoping that the distraction would calm her body's reactions but when he came over to stand by her side, she knew she was fighting a losing battle.

"So," he whispered, his mouth lingering dangerously close to her ear. "I'll cook for us tonight when the girls are in bed."

Turning in surprise she smiled up at him and brushed her lips against his before pulling away again to lay the palm of her hand over his chest. "Really?" she asked softly as she gazed up at him adoringly. "What's the occasion?"

"No occasion," he told her softly as he wrapped his fingers around her hand on his chest and lifted it to his lips to press a kiss into the centre of her palm. Fiona's eyes met his and she opened her mouth to tell him that his gesture was worth a thousand words when Caitlin came towards them, waving her doll in the air.

"Mammy look at me doll," she squealed excitedly. "She has a bottle just like Meaghan."

"Really?" Fiona asked her as she slowly turned away from Michael to look down at the little girl who held up the toy bottle that had white liquid in it.

"Yep, she's got milk too." Tipping the bottle upside down, Caitlin gasped when none of the liquid came out of the tip.

"It's a special bottle for dolls baby," Fiona told her softly when she placed her hand on her head to thread her fingers through the soft strands. "Looks like you've got some clothes in the box too."

Caitlin's eyes grew wide when she looked back at Sam who had placed the box on the table with the new outfits laid on top. "I'm goin' ta change har."

Shaking her head, Fiona grinned down at her daughter who turned around with the doll and clothes in her hand as she sped off towards her bedroom.

"I'm heading out guys," Sam announced when he stood up from the couch and looked down at his watch. "I'm meeting _Cynthia."_

"Cynthia?" Fiona asked incredulously. "What happened to the last one?"

"Lisa?" he asked as he shook his head. "No…no no…"

"Didn't work?" Michael asked, his eyebrows rising when he slipped an arm around Fiona's shoulders.

"Married!"

"Ah…" Michael nodded knowingly and caught Fiona's scowl when she obviously disapproved of Sam's dalliance with a married woman.

"Married? _Really_ Sam?" Fiona asked haughtily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hey it's not like I knew she was married," he protested holding his hands in the air before he turned to sweep his hands in the general direction of his own body. "I'm gonna go… I've gotta prepare the vessel."

"Ewww Sam, that's disgusting!" Fiona groused when she saw the slow grin appear on his face. "There are innocent ears in the room you know!"

Looking around him cautiously Sam expected to see Caitlin hovering beside him but when she was nowhere to be seen he turned back to Fiona and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see—"

"_My _innocent ears!" she told him, waving her hand in the general direction of her own ears before she broke into a smile.

"Innocent?" he scoffed. "There ain't nothin' innocent about you sister!"

Shaking her head Fiona stepped away from Michael and patted Sam's arm before she moved back into the kitchen to switch the kettle on again.

Exchanging a knowing look Sam nodded to Michael as he moved towards Meaghan's bassinette, reaching in to stroke her fingers briefly before stepping away again. "Caitlin I'm going now sweetheart."

Expecting the little girl to come out of the room and hug him, when all her heard was a muffled _'bye'_ Sam suddenly felt his heart sink. Watching the open bedroom door he waited for a few more seconds before he realised that she wasn't coming out to see him and he suddenly felt somewhat redundant. With a heavy sigh he turned back to Michael and tried not to let his friend see the disappointment in his eyes.

"So, I'm gonna go."

Michael nodded knowingly, part of him feeling a little sorry for the man before him. Opening his mouth to tell him not to take it to heart, he saw his daughter appear in her bedroom doorway and beam a big smile towards his friend.

"Uncle Sam," she called, coming out of her room to speed towards him.

Sam dropped onto one knee in seconds and wrapped his arms around her to tug her against him. "I'll see ya tomorrow li'l darlin'."

Caitlin drew back and smiled at him, nodding her head before she moved forward to kiss him. "Thank you for me new doll."

"Well you're welcome honey," he grinned, tugging her against him again before he released her hands so she could run back into her bedroom. He watched her for a few more moments before turning his eyes back towards his best friend. "I've gotta go."

"Have fun," Fiona called, her voice holding a light teasing tone that only increased when she shot him a bright smile.

Despite his best efforts Sam couldn't help but return her infectious smile, something he'd been doing a lot of lately. Nodding his head, Sam turned around and headed towards the door, glancing back at his friends with a wide grin before he disappeared.

When they were alone, Fiona moved around the kitchen trying not to notice how her body flared into high alert when Michael came to join her.

"So," she whispered when she placed her cup back onto the counter before she turned around to step into the circle of his arms. "What are you making me for dinner?"

000

Later that evening after they had settled their two daughters in bed, Michael placed the last of the dishes into the dishwasher and smiled across at the woman who's face was illuminated by the soft candlelight. Pausing to watch her he couldn't remember a time when he had felt so consumed by her. All those years ago when he'd left her behind, he never in his wildest dreams ever believed that he could be so happy.

Fiona smiled up at him before she leant across the table, blowing out the candles. Her eyes danced with fire, causing him to make his way towards her. Reaching out he slowly took her hand and gently pulled her out of her chair and tugged her towards him, slipping his arms around her.

"How do you feel?" he asked in a soft whisper when he dipped his head to place a chaste kiss onto her forehead.

Fiona fixed him with a smouldering gaze, it had been so long since she had felt so in tune with him. Moving in a little closer she slid her hands up and over his chest until she wrapped her fingers around the back of his neck to gently pull his head down to meet his lips with her own.

Michael was lost in her but even though she had instigated this slow seduction he still held part of himself back. Fiona could feel his caution and she decided that it was time to end this temporary celibacy they had found themselves in. She was ready, both physically and emotionally, and she knew all she had to do was convince him of that.

"Michael," she whispered against his lips, her voice shaking as she spoke. "I want to do this."

"I…" his lips pressed against hers only to pull away again when he gazed down at her. "I don't want to hurt you."

His words caused her heart to surge inside her chest and she suddenly understood why she loved this man so deeply. Stepping closer she smiled up at him and shook her head, pressing a kiss to his neck before stepping back slightly to smile up at him.

"You won't," she whispered as she kissed his throat, peppering tiny kisses upwards until she reached his mouth. Her lips met his and filled him with smouldering fire, igniting tiny lightning bolts within his body. She was a temptress, his beloved Fiona. She knew how his body reacted to her and how with just one look she could cause him to follow her blindly into passion.

Just when he thought he couldn't take much more her tongue delved into his mouth, igniting the simmering embers that had always burned only for her. Their kiss deepened leaving their senses somewhere in the distance as love took over to immerse them in a passionate haze. Tearing her mouth from his she gazed up at him, their kiss leaving both of them breathless. The smile she gave him was filled with promises of many other things to come and he wanted nothing more than to take what she offered and ignore everything else.

He moved towards her, his lips craving hers but she held her hands to his chest to stop him. Slowly, his confusion dissipated around him as his senses began to slowly return, un-fogging his brain. He looked at her, seeking an explanation and only then did he noticed that her hand had wrapped around his. Silently she stepped away from him, tugging on his hand as she led him towards their bedroom, a seductive smile forging on her lips.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews, PM's and favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate every single comment and I value your kindness more than you could know.**

**Thanks also to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for reading through parts of this for me, especially making sure I didn't wander over into the 'M' territory! You three supply me with daily doses of love and laughter and I don't know where I would be without you all. **

**Also huge thanks and love to the girls over at Twitter. Thank you so much for your friendship and your support.**

3

Soft moonlight filtered through into the bedroom when they moved towards the bed, lips and hands still joined. Pulling away from him, Fiona breathed deeply and allowed her gaze to wash over him. She watched him silently, finding his slight tremble utterly adorable and before she could stop herself, she stepped up behind him to run a hand up his chest. "Are you okay?"

Swallowing the lump inside his throat, Michael slowly lowered his eyes to fix her with an adoring gaze. "I'm fine."

"Then why are you shaking?" she asked with a smile as she stepped a little closer to skim her fingers over the buttons of his shirt.

Michael's whole body was trembling with anticipation as her fingers slowly began to unfasten buttons before she slowly began to push the material from his shoulders. He moved with her, the shirt sliding down his arms to fall into a heap on the bedroom floor. "Fiona…?"

Her fingers stilled on the button of his jeans and her eyes lifted to gaze up into his. For a few worrying seconds she thought he was going to stop her and she started to move away, but his hand snatched hold of hers to keep her where she was.

"I don't want to do anything that's going to hurt you," he whispered softly as he brought one of her hands to his lips to kiss her palm.

"You won't," she assured him, her voice hoarse as she stepped a little closer to his body. "I'm ready for this…"

She could still feel his hesitation even though he peppered her face with kisses. He was being so gentle and so cautious, and even though she knew he loved her a sudden thought sprang into her mind. Pulling back she looked up at him worriedly, suddenly feeling a little self conscious. She still hadn't lost all of her baby weight, not that she'd really gained much at all, but her stomach wasn't as flat as it used to be and she knew she looked tired sometimes because of the exhaustion.

"Is it because I'm…"

Michael could see her looking down at her own body before she chanced another look into his eyes. With sudden realisation he shook his head rapidly, surging towards her to engulf her in his arms.

"No… Fi…no…"

"Then, what's wrong with me?" she asked worriedly, feeling her own frustrations rampaging throughout her body. How could the passions of only a few moments ago die away so quickly?

Her words filled Michael's body with an ache so powerful that it flooded his heart with every kind of emotion. After everything they had been through, after the passionate kisses they had shared, she was still afraid of his rejection and he knew if it took him the rest of his life he would make her understand that she was his everything. Trying his best to reassure her he lowered his head towards her, his lips finding hers in a soft seal of a promise between them. Pulling back slightly, he brought his hands up to frame her face and smiled down into her eyes. "You're beautiful."

His breath fanned her face and her eyes fluttered closed as he descended on her lips once more, this time giving in to the passion that coursed throughout his body. Unable to wait any longer, he sank into her, his tongue begging for entry into her mouth, desperate to feel the same sparking connection to her that they had always experienced whenever they were together.

Fiona kissed him back with wild abandonment, all of the worries of only moments ago suddenly vanishing into thin air. She loved him, she had always loved him and now she wanted to reconnect and share her body with him just like so many times before.

Tearing their lips away from each other they both gasped for breath, panting heavily before returning back together to share a gentle kiss. Fiona's heart raced inside her chest and she could already feel her body's reaction to him. Running her tongue across his bottom lip she sought to deepen their kiss, urging him onwards in her efforts to feel him again.

He readily complied, his tongue meeting hers with equal passion. He released her hands to reach behind her and pull her closer into his body leaving her in no doubt just what her touch was doing to him. One of Fiona's hands reached up to thread her fingers through his hair and the other encircled his back, pulling him enticingly closer.

One potent kiss followed another until they broke apart again, both of them gasping for air. Their eyes met and held, desire clearly evident in their eyes. Wordlessly, as if by some silent understanding, he released Fiona's body and she stepped back slightly to reach down for his hand. His fingers wrapped around hers and he willingly followed as she gently tugged him towards their bed.

Releasing his hand, Fiona walked towards the window to close the drapes before turning back towards him. His legs moved on their own accord, walking over towards her as she turned to face him. Their lips met again in a soft kiss, both of them reacquainting themselves with each others touch. Passions quickly flared, urging their hands to rake over one another's clothes, slipping buttons and zippers to remove the material that kept them apart.

Pulling his lips from hers Michael trailed a burning path of kisses down her throat and turned her to gently push her backwards until she was lying beneath him on the bed. Lifting his head slightly, he found her eyes once more, seeking reassurance that she really wanted this.

Fiona's eyes opened when his lips left her body to find herself captured in his gaze. Lifting her fingers to his face she traced the outline of his lips. "Michael," she whispered softly, her voice causing his body to react against her. "Love me."

"I do," he whispered, his own emotions bringing a surge of love to his eyes. He saw her gaze lift to his, the adoration in her eyes causing him to dip his head and capture her lips in a long languished kiss that left neither of them in a any doubt of how much they loved each other.

Michael groaned into her mouth as she shifted beneath him to cradle him between her thighs and he was suddenly lost in her and the incredible emotions she was enticing throughout his body.

Sinking into each other, they both surrendered to passions that had always sparked between them. Tearing his lips from hers he watched her eyes when he hovered above her, watching for any signs of discomfort when he slowly moved within her to once again claim her body with his. Fiona's eyes slipped closed and she arched against him and he suddenly lost himself in her, feeling the walls that had kept them apart crumble away to shatter between them.

They moved as one, urging each other onwards with encouraging sighs and moans of approval. Sinking into her Michael groaned against her throat, his lips kissing her skin until he couldn't hold back any longer. With a soft gasp Fiona threw her head back against the pillows crying his name upon release. His body soon followed, bringing him to the peak of passion before her body pulled him over the edge to bring him crashing down to earth beside her.

Afterwards, they lay together both of them trying to catch their breath, silently bathing in the afterglow of each other. Fiona's fingers stroked his back as he nestled his head between her neck and shoulder. Their breathing became shallow and laboured, but neither wanted to move away from the other, both caught up in their own piece of heaven.

After a few moments Michael lifted himself up on his elbows and leaned down to kiss her glistening cheek. He ached to tell her everything, and suddenly the words he had longed to tell her on so many occasions didn't seem so frightening any more. Kissing her lips, he pulled back slightly to gaze down into her eyes. "I…do..."

Lifting a hand to his face, she stroked his cheek softly and smiled up into his eyes. "What?"

Dipping his head he pressed his lips to hers before he kissed his way across her cheek until he reached her ear. "Love you."

His words caused Fiona's heart to surge inside her chest; she never thought hearing him actually say the words would cause her to react this way. Lifting his head from her chest, she cradled his face in her hands before she pulled him back down to her, kissing him with more passion than she had ever unleashed on him before. She felt him respond to her touch and lifted her leg to roll him onto his back so that she straddled his thighs. When she moved over him, he surrendered to her, sinking back into the pillows. All thoughts scattered as she claimed his body as hers once again, and he willingly complied, allowing her to consume him once more.

000

The first thing Michael became aware of a few hours later was how incredibly warm he felt. For a few seconds he thought he'd woken up from a wonderful dream in which the warmth still embraced him, but slowly as he opened his eyes, he remembered where he was and whom he was with. Shifting slightly, he looked over towards the woman who was still asleep beside him. They had shifted in their sleep so that they were both on their sides and he had his arm wrapped possessively around her stomach while his legs spooned against hers.

A feeling of contentment washed over him and he suddenly couldn't remember anything that had felt so wonderful in his life before. Breathing deeply, her scent invaded his senses, causing him to possessively pull her closer to his body, his need to feel her closeness overwhelming every other conscious thought.

Fiona started to stir beside him, a contented sigh rasping from her lips as her fingers threaded through his on her stomach. She mumbled something as she started to wake and pushed herself further back into his body. Slowly, as she opened her eyes, thoughts of the previous night started to seep back into her consciousness and her moved in his, squeezing his fingers before she rubbed her thumb across his skin.

"Hey," he whispered gravelly as his lips dipped to nuzzle the back of her neck. His body ached but he felt more relaxed than he had in months and he knew it was all because of this beautiful woman beside him.

Taking a deep breath, Fiona turned in his arms to face him. Blinking the tiredness from her eyes she offered him a sleepy smile. "Hey."

Lifting a hand, Michael traced the outline of her face and leaned forward to press a light kiss onto her forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Mmm…" she sighed as she moved forward to snuggle further into his body. "I feel…good…"

Michael shifted slightly so that he could wrap her tightly against him. Lowering his head he nestled his lips into her hair and closed his eyes as he pulled her closer to tuck her head beneath his chin. He knew it wouldn't be long before Meaghan woke up for her nightly meal and make her presence known.

As if on cue, the baby monitor sprang to life and Meaghan's soft whimpers slowly became a little louder, until her cries filled the room. Fiona pulled him closer, squeezing her arms around his body before placing a kiss onto his chest.

"You want me to get her?" Michael asked her when she slowly moved away from him to begin the climb out of bed.

Smiling up at him she nodded and sat back against the pillows, pulling the covers up to her chest. Michael sat up and reached into the drawer next to the bed and took out a pair of pyjama bottoms before he pulled them on. Standing up he smiled at her before he left their bedroom and disappeared.

Sitting up a little higher, Fiona chuckled to herself when she heard Michael's soft voice making strange sounds to their little girl when he lifted her out of her crib. She couldn't ever remember a time when she had been so happy. The life she had now was nothing like the life she'd led a few years ago.

Gone were the days when she used to love guns instead of everyday things. Her life used to consist of danger and violence, something that used to be enough to satisfy her. When Michael came along her love of guns drifted into second place and he became her top priority, loving him instead of weaponry.

Michael came back into the bedroom holding their daughter against his chest. Looking down at the baby nestled against him he inclined his head and pressed a soft kiss onto her forehead before he lowered her down towards Fiona who took her into her arms.

"Hey baby," she smiled as she stroked Meaghan's cheek before she settled her against her chest.

Michael sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over to kiss the woman he loved before he stood up again and headed towards the bathroom. He knew he had to tell her about Sean's letter and the underlying threat of Marie but he didn't want to do that tonight. Tomorrow was Sunday and they were due to visit his mother's house in the afternoon, so he could put off telling her about the letter until afterwards, but he also knew the longer he left it the worse it would become.

Sighing heavily he made his way into the bathroom and looked at his own reflection in the mirror. Tomorrow he'd show her the letter and face the consequences of keeping it from her. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't kill him in the process.

When he came back into the bedroom a few minutes later he brought a new sleep suit and diaper in with him and smiled down at Fiona who was rubbing Meaghan's back.

"Do you want me to take her?" he asked, keeping his voice low when he came back over to climb into his side of the bed. Holding the sleep suit up he laid it onto the bed and took his baby daughter from Fiona to lay her down onto the bed.

"I'll be right back," Fiona told him softly as she leaned across to kiss his cheek before she shifted over to the side of the bed. Pulling her robe from the chair next to the bed she stood up and slipped it on over her naked body and turned around to face him when she pulled the ties together.

For a moment she stood watching them and couldn't help the slow smile that emerged onto her lips. He was a wonderful father to both of their daughters and sometimes she felt an ache in her heart when she thought about how much Caitlin had missed. She would have loved to have seen Michael with Caitlin when she was first born. Maybe if they had been together back then the two of them would have raised Caitlin together. Marie wouldn't have become so obsessed and her and her mother wouldn't have instigated the removal of her child.

_Her mother_…she hadn't allowed herself to think of her in the last few weeks. Since she'd left all those months ago Fiona had effectively blocked all attempts of communication so when Michael brought the card she'd sent to their post office box, just the mere presence of it had thrown her. That was six weeks ago now, and maybe it was time she tried to open those lines again, even if it was just to tell her to leave them alone.

Michael lifted his eyes from his daughter to watch Fiona as she hovered beside the bed. He could see how she was deep in thought and when she suddenly realised he was watching her she blushed slightly and offered him a bright smile before she turned around and left the room. Shaking his head in amusement he returned his attention back to the baby who was looking up at him and smiling.

"You're supposed to be sleepy," he told her softly when she continued to make soft cooing noises up at him. Shaking his head he grinned down at her as he began to press the snappers together on her sleep suit, all the while feeling his heart melt a little more.

When she came out of the bathroom, Fiona hovered in the doorway and looked over towards the kitchen. She knew that the card her mother had sent was still in a drawer in the kitchen and she spent the next few moments arguing with herself on whether it was time to open it.

Taking a breath she slowly started the walk towards the kitchen, her steps feeling heavier the closer she got. Part of her wanted to take the card and throw it in the trash but there was also a part of her that was burning with curiosity.

When she finally reached the drawer she held her fingers over the handle before she slowly pulled it open. So many thoughts were rampaging through her mind when she saw the card on the top of the pile, her mother's hand writing leaping out at her. She hadn't expected to find the card so quickly and part of her hoped that that it had somehow got thrown out in the trash.

Reaching inside she pulled out the offending item, her fingers trembling a little as she looked down at it. The bright pink envelope should have eased her wariness but she knew all too well that nothing in her life had ever been simple.

"Hey," Michael's soft voice caused her to turn around sharply, her eyes growing wide when she suddenly jumped and the envelope slipped from her fingers.

"I…" shaking her head she looked down at the card on the floor and suddenly felt incredibly foolish. She was a grown woman with a family of her own now, so why did the mere thought of her mother transform her into a scared little girl again?

Moving further into the room, Michael watched her worriedly when she stared down at the bright pink object on the floor. Following her gaze he quickly felt his heart sink when he realised what she was staring at.

"Come back to bed. Meaghan's in her crib talking to herself," he told her softly as he slowly moved towards her. "Whatever's in that letter it can wait until tomorrow."

Swallowing hard Fiona lifted her eyes to his and was suddenly struck by the worry in his eyes. She was sure it was the same worry she had displayed to him on so many occasions and for a moment she didn't know what to do.

"Why did she send it?" she asked him shakily when her eyes slipped back down to the envelope again. "She knew I didn't want her in my life…she knew…"

Surging forward Michael slipped his hands down her arms and took a hold of her hands. To see her now in so much turmoil brought a wave of guilt to flow through his mind. He had to tell her about Sean's letter and by the look in her eyes he knew he couldn't wait any longer.

"Listen…Fi…" he started, his voice shaking a little as he spoke. "I…"

When he stumbled over his words Fiona clasped his hands in hers and gazed up at him worriedly. "Michael…what…?"

Moving his head forward Michael laid his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He loved her so much and it was such a powerful feeling that he didn't want to ever do anything to lose what they shared. Opening his eyes again he pulled back slightly to catch her gaze with his before he took a deep breath.

"I had a letter from Sean a few days ago," he started, waiting for the light to go out in her eyes. "Your mom's sick."

For a few moments Fiona just stood there, her eyes holding his as she processed what he was trying to tell her.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked shakily. "Is she…"

"I don't know," he told her honestly, squeezing her hands in his. "Sean just wanted to let you know in case—"

"In case of what?" she asked fearfully, her heart suddenly lurching inside her chest. She was so confused by the feelings raging inside her. She'd told her mother to leave and never return but now…

"He's worried if…anything happens to her…"

Realisations slowly dawned in Fiona's eyes and she blinked slowly before she nodded in understanding. Colleen Glenanne was a dominant force within the family and she knew it was mostly down to her that Marie hadn't returned to resume where she'd left off. If anything happened to her mother she knew Marie wouldn't waste time waiting.

"If my mother…" her voice trailed away when she tried not to think of her mother lying ill somewhere. "Marie won't stop, she'll—"

"Marie will NOT get her hands on our daughter," Michael told her, his voice raising a notch as he spoke. "No one will take either of the girls away from us."

His words washed through her to leave her reeling. Blinking heavily she swallowed hard and shook her head from side to side. "With my mother gone…she'll come back…she'll—"

"No…Fi, she won't get anywhere near Caitlin—"

"But what if she does?" she gasped, pulling her hand from his. "What if she has someone watching? Oh god…the letter…" shaking her head again she could already feel her voice breaking when she thought of the pain she'd gone through when she'd lost Caitlin before. "She could have had you followed…she—"

Moving forward Michael hands left hers to grasp her shoulders as he yanked her against him. Wrapping his arms tightly around her he held on tight and planted reassuring kisses into her hair. "She won't get near. I promise you Fi, I'll never let anything happen."

Fiona sank against him and wrapped her arms around his torso to hold him tightly against her. Before she'd lost Caitlin she would have gone straight to the source of the problem and taken care of it there and then, but now, since she'd got Caitlin back and given birth to Meaghan, her whole attitude had changed.

Stepping closer towards the man she loved she held onto him tighter before she slowly loosened her arms and took a step back.

"She goes nowhere without us," she told him quickly. "No play dates… no trips out with your mom…"

"Okay," he nodded, even though he wasn't sure how Caitlin would react to these set of particular rules.

"I'll talk to the principle at Caitlin's school," she told him, already nodding in approval at her own reasoning. "I'm not taking any chances."

Rubbing his thumbs across her skin, Michael brought her attention back to him and drew in a sharp breath when he saw the tears building in her eyes. Moving closer he pressed his lips against her forehead and held them there before he pulled her back into his arms.

"Do you want to call your mom?" he asked her softly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Maybe if you talk to her—"

"She took Caitlin from us," she told him sharply, her voice breaking through his. "She made my life miserable."

"I know," he sighed. "But don't you want to make some kind of peace with her?"

His words lingered in the air and for a moment he thought she was going to berate him for suggesting it, but to his surprise she didn't. Laying her head against his chest she held him close and closed her eyes, willing the confusing feelings to melt away. She hated how she became this bitter woman whenever she thought of the woman who'd raised her. This wasn't her, not anymore…not since Caitlin and Meaghan have given her life new meaning.

The more she thought of her children, the more she tried to think of her mother's side of things. If in the future she did something that her family couldn't forgive her for, would she be able to survive if she knew her beautiful daughter's didn't want to know her?

"I'll call her," she whispered against him before she slowly lifted her head to gaze up at him. "But I'm doing it for the girls, not for her."

"Okay," he nodded as he moved a hand to cradle her cheek against his palm. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"Why?" she asked dully as she leaned into his hand. "I'm only going to call Sean and ask how she is, that's all…"

Nodding silently Michael glanced across at the clock and mentally counted forward, working out the time difference in his head. It would be almost noon over in Ireland now and he knew she was right about calling Sean; he would be the safer option.

"Okay," he told her, keeping his tone low as he slowly moved away from her to grab his phone from the table before he handed it to her. "I'll make you some tea."

Fiona's eyes filled with apprehension when she looked down at the phone in her hand. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say to her brother and part of her right at this moment wished that she'd had the strength to break all ties with her family when she'd got Caitlin back.

Pressing the list of contacts she scrolled down until she came to Sean's name. Her thumb hovered over the call button and in one brief moment she thought about abandoning this absurd idea and throwing the phone to the side, but when she looked up and caught the sight of Michael moving around the kitchen she knew she had to do this.

Pressing down on the call button she slowly lifted the phone to her ear and tried to hear over the thumping of her heart. When the line connected and the familiar sounding tone began she waited for a few moments before she heard a voice at the other end.

"Sean?"

"_Fiona?"_

"Yes it's me…" she started before blurting out the rest of what she wanted to say. "Michael told me about mammy…"

"_He did? I didn' think he woul' tell ya. Afta tha way mammy left ya I wondered if ya'd want ta know—"_

"So what's wrong with her?" she asked quickly, her voice breaking through his. "Just how sick is she?"

"_It's bad Fiona,"_ his voice broke a little as he spoke and Fiona could hear him fighting to control his words. _"She'll be happy ta talk ta ya."_

"I…no…," Fiona whispered, her voice shaking. "I can't…not yet…"

"_Fiona, please,"_ he asked, his voice imploring her to listen to him. _"Just a few words tha's all…if she hears ya voice she'll fight."_

Swallowing hard Fiona lifted her eyes to Michael who was watching her from his place in the kitchen. She tried to offer him a reassuring smile but she knew she'd failed miserably when she saw worry flare in his eyes.

"What about Marie? Where is she?"

"_She's not here—"_

"That's not what I asked Sean," she hissed, already feeling herself losing the grip on her emotions. "_Where_ is the woman who wants to take my _child?_"

"_She's wit' Pat. He won' let har outta tha house on har own…not since we got back ta Ireland."_

"You told Michael she was still obsessed with my daughter, Sean. What is Patrick doing about that?"

"Fio—"

"NO," she hissed angrily as she clutched the phone tighter to her ear. "I swear to you Sean If I have to deal with her myself I will. There's nothing I won't do for my children…do YOU hear me?"

"_I hear ya,"_ he sighed his voice lowering and she could hear the slight tremor in his words_. "We won' let har get ta ya babby Fiona…I promise ya so I will."_

"I will end it," Fiona promised him determinedly. "You know I will."

"_And if she does anythin' I'll help ya,"_ he promised. "_Afta wha' she di' ta ya I'll end it fer ya…"_

"That's very sweet Sean but I can fight my own battles," she told him. "I have a score to settle with that bitch."

He was silent for a few moments and she started to wonder if there was something wrong with the line until another voice appeared on the line, one which took her breath away.

"Mammy?"

"_Is tha' really you child?"_ she asked softly, her voice unlike anything Fiona had heard before.

"Yes mammy it's me," nodding her head Fiona swallowed the lump in her throat and tried not to succumb to the fear that was eating away inside her heart. Despite everything she'd promised herself about leaving her mother behind, that reasoning crumbled away the instant her mother spoke. "Are ya okay mammy?"

"_I'm dyin' child…nothin' anyone ca' do abou' tha'."_

"Yer no' dyin' mammy…don't ya be talkin' like tha'," shaking her head Fiona's eyes filled with tears as the memories of the happier days filled her with images from the past.

"_I'm no' gettin' well agai'…I'm bein' punished few wha' I di' ta ya…an' ya have ta know I really am sorry fer wha' I pu' ya through child…I really am…"_

"No one is punishin' ya fer tha past mammy…I have me babby," shaking her head, Fiona squeezed her eyes shut and tried to keep the tremor from her body.

Michael moved towards her to slide his hand across her shoulders to hold her against him reassuringly when tears tumbled from her eyes. Reaching forward he wrapped his fingers over hers and gently took the phone from her hand. Within seconds she turned towards him to bury her face into his chest and all he could do was pull her closer towards him as he tried to heal her pain with his touch.

Lifting the phone to his ear he spoke into the phone, keeping his voice soft. "Mrs Glenanne?"

"_Michael?"_ The fragility in her voice threw him for a few seconds but he recovered quickly and pushed the shock to the back of his mind

"Yes it's me," he told her, still trying to fight the bitterness that almost slipped into his words.

"_Ya look afta har… ya make har happy…"_

"I always will," he nodded, keeping his voice level as he spoke. "Nothing will change that."

"_Yer a good man Michael…I—"_ her voice broke off into a hacking cough and Michael closed one eye in a grimace when he heard her fighting to breathe. Fiona moved against him and wiped the tips of her fingers over her cheek before she composed herself enough to look up at him questioningly.

Within moments Sean's voice could be heard over the receiver and Michael pressed the phone back against his ear.

"Is she okay?" he asked worriedly when he could still hear Fiona's mother hacking in the background.

"_Aye she will be,"_ Sean told him distractedly and Michael could hear the rustling of the phone against his clothes when he repositioned it. _"Michael, I need ya ta know I won' le' Marie come back fer tha babby…I swear ta ya now."_

"If anything happens you know where to reach me, right?" Michael's eyes followed Fiona when she pulled out of his arms and made her way into the kitchen. He could already see her shoulders sag a little when she leaned against the counter. Swallowing hard he closed his eyes when he pressed the phone closer to his ear. "Anything, Sean…I mean it."

"_Ya know I will Michael…"_ his voice trailed off and Michael could hear Colleen Glenanne calling out to him. _"I have ta go…"_

Opening his mouth to offer a half hearted goodbye, Michael was taken by surprise when the line suddenly grew silent and a mechanical voice told him the other person had ended the call. Looking down at the phone in his hand he placed it back onto the table before he moved towards the only woman he was concerned with right now.

Fiona stilled when he moved up behind her and smoothed his hands over her shoulders. His touch rendered her powerless against him and she moved back against his chest. Moving closer Michael placed a soft kiss onto her head before he lowered his hands to run his fingers over her arms. Tracing his digits over her skin he shifted against her again and slipped his arms around her waist. Pulling her tighter into him he held onto her until she slowly turned within the circle of his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, keeping his lips close against her ear. "Fi—"

"I shouldn't care," she told him brokenly, her voice cracking when she burrowed herself into him. "After everything she did, why do I still care?"

Michael nuzzled his lips against her temple before trailing kisses over the side of her cheek until he came to her ear.

"You're not like them," he whispered, punctuating his word with a kiss. "You're…beautiful…"

Lifting her head she gazed up into his eyes and tried to blink away the tears that blurred her vision, but the pressure only made them trickle down her cheeks.

"Do you think Caitlin will hate me?" she whispered shakily. "If I try to stop her from doing the things she wants?"

"What?" he asked, his voice rising slightly, only to drop again seconds later. "She loves you. If you explain it to her she'll understand."

Fresh tears trickled down her cheeks when she shook her head. "I don't want to become my mother."

"You won't," he urged her softly as he lifted his fingers to swipe the wetness from her cheeks. "You'll never be like her."

Nodding slowly Fiona took his offered hand when he stepped away from her. Wrapping his fingers around hers he tugged her closer and silently asked if she was okay before he pulled her with him leading her back towards their bedroom.

000

When Fiona opened her eyes later that morning the sun was already up and she could hear giggling coming from outside the bedroom door. Turning her head to the side she smiled when she saw that Michael's side of the bed was empty and that he'd got up with the girls again.

"Mammy's awake," Caitlin called to her father with delight when she nudged the door open and came into the bedroom carrying a tray in her hands. Taking a careful step towards the bed she slowed down and watched the orange in the glass move from side to side as she walked.

Fiona watched her with complete wonder when her little girl had the same look on her face that her father had when he was concentrating hard on something. Without looking up, Caitlin made it to the edge of the bed and balanced the tray on the mattress before she lifted her eyes to beam a smile towards her mother.

"Mornin' mammy, me an' daddy made ya breakfast."

Looking towards her beautiful daughter Fiona reached out a hand to stop the tray from wobbling before she leaned across to place a kiss onto Caitlin's cheek.

"Thank you baby," she smiled. "You didn't have to bring me breakfast."

Caitlin climbed up onto the bed and leaned into her mother's side, wrapping her arms around her as much as she could. "Daddy said ya wa' sad…are ya sad now mammy?"

Moving forward Fiona tugged Caitlin against her and held her as tightly as she could. Pressing her lips to her hair she planted soft kisses over every part of her head and cheeks before she pulled back to smile down at her.

"I can never be sad when you're here," she told her honestly. "You, Meaghan and daddy make me happy."

Caitlin stayed beside her mother for a few more moments before she pulled back to smile up at her. "I made ya some toast…do ya want ta try some?"

Fiona's eyes skimmed over the piece of toast that had holes in it where Caitlin had spread the butter too hard, but she couldn't think of seeing anything so perfect before.

"I would love some baby," she nodded as she sat herself up a little straighter in the bed. "Where's daddy and Meaghan?"

"We're here," Michael's voice sounded from just outside the door when he came inside carrying their younger daughter in his arms. "Meaghan wanted to be up early so Caitlin helped me get her dressed so you could sleep…"

Lifting her eyes up to his Fiona couldn't help but smile when she thought of how much she adored this man. After everything they'd been through over the years he was still the only man she would ever love.

"An' I helped daddy ta make tha breakfast too," Caitlin told her proudly. "I put that butter on all by meself."

"You did a good job baby," Fiona told her as she placed a kiss onto her forehead. "Would you go into Meaghan's room for me and fetch me a towel please?"

"Yep," Caitlin grinned as she scrambled off of the bed. "Tha ones ya use fer Meaghan?"

"That's the one," Fiona nodded with a bright smile when Caitlin turned on her heal and skipped out of the room.

Looking back at Michael Fiona patted the bed beside her and motioned for him to come and sit beside her as she picked up a piece of soggy toast and cautiously placed a piece into her mouth. Chewing slowly she was surprised that it didn't taste anything like it looked and when Michael came to sit onto the bed beside her, perching Meaghan against his chest, Fiona placed a small piece into his mouth before he could protest.

Fiona grinned up at him and leaned against his side before she reached across to take Meaghan from his arms. Michael lifted the tray from her knees and placed it into the centre of the bed so she could reposition the hungry baby against her. Leaning back against the headboard Fiona smiled down at the baby in her arms before she tilted her head upwards to collect a kiss from the man beside her.

Caitlin chose that moment to return to the room carrying two square towels in each hand only to stop in the doorway to put her hands on her hips.

"Daddy," she huffed, shaking her head from side to side. "Yer supposed ta be helpin' mammy not kissin' har!"

Pulling away from Fiona he met his daughter with a soft chuckle and turned to kiss Fiona again, before placing a kiss onto Meaghan's head. Sliding towards the edge of the bed he moved towards his eldest daughter and began to tickle her mercilessly until she squealed for him to let her go.

Releasing her from his clutches he grinned down at her and picked the towels up off of the floor where she'd dropped them only seconds ago. Handing them back to her he watched when she moved towards her mother and placed both towels onto the bed. Moving closer she leaned down to kiss Meaghan's head before she ran her fingers over her hair.

"Thank you for breakfast baby," Fiona whispered softly when Caitlin moved away from Meaghan to reach up and kiss her mother soundly.

"Do ya want me ta help ya wit' Meaghan?"

"Maybe later sweetie," Fiona told her with a proud smile. "I bet if you ask daddy he'll read to you while I finish up here with your sister."

Caitlin gasped and turned towards Michael who still stood in the doorway watching the three women in his life. Nodding his head automatically he cast Fiona an adoring smile when Caitlin shot past him and into her bedroom with lightning speed.

"I'll be out with Meaghan in a minute," she told him, returning his smile with a bright one of her own.

"Okay," he nodded, taking one last look before he turned to greet his excited daughter who had brought a handful of books out with her.

Fiona watched him place his hand on Caitlin's head as he followed her out of the bedroom and she once again told herself just how lucky she was to have so much love around her. Releasing a sigh, Fiona looked down at the baby snuggled against her and knew she would never give up this life for anything. Despite what she'd said to Michael last night about preventing Caitlin from going on play dates and trips out with Madeline, she'd slowly began to change her mind. Caitlin shouldn't have to pay for Marie's obsession; she'd already lost out on so much because of her. No, Caitlin could still lead her normal life; they would just have to teach her how to be cautious. Leaning her head back against the headboard she closed her eyes and smiled. Marie wouldn't hurt then any more…

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has left reviews on here and on twitter. Thank you also for all of your PM's and favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate all of your support.**

**Thank you also to my lovely friends Purdy's Pal, Daisday and JediSkysinger for being yourselves. Lastly special thanks to all of my twitter friends for being so wonderful.**

**This is a shorter chapter than usual because RL has been very hectic this week and kept me away from my lap top.**

4

When Fiona came into the family room she cradled Meaghan in her arms as she stepped over some of Caitlin's colouring pencils that were scattered on over the floor. When she moved further into the room she smiled over at Michael and Caitlin who were both immersed in bubbles when they were sharing the sink to wash the dishes.

"Daddy is this one clean enough?" she asked as she held up a bowl covered in bubbles.

Michael looked across at his daughter and smiled when he spotted her arm was covered in white bubbles right up to her elbow.

"I think so honey," he laughed. "Is that the last one now?"

"Yep," she told him when she handed him the soapy bowl and held her hands up so that the bubbles slowly crept down her arms.

Meaghan chose that moment to let out a squeal, closely followed by a giggle when she discovered she'd made a noise. Fiona beamed a smile down at her, her eyes growling wide when Meaghan grinned up at her.

"Can you hear your sister?" Fiona cooed, her voice softening as she gazed down at her baby daughter. "Can you?"

Caitlin turned around on the chair and gasped in a breath when she saw her mother. "Mammy look at me arms? I'm a bubble monsta!"

"I can see, baby," she told her with a smile as she moved closer towards the kitchen. "Just how many dishes did you have to wash?"

"Two," Michael told her as he shook his head. His lips turned upwards into a grin when he pulled a clean cloth out of the draw to wipe the bubbles from Caitlin's arms. "Caitlin decided she wanted to help."

"An' I did help ya didn' I daddy?" she asked him when he'd finished wiping the bubbles off of her. Holding her hands up she launched herself towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. When he lifted her off of the chair, she wrapped herself around him and kissed his cheek soundly before she pulled back to rest her forehead against his. "Are we goin' ta see nana soon?"

"Soon," he nodded, walking out of the kitchen still holding her. "But first me and your mom want to talk to you."

Caitlin glanced at her mother before she turned her eyes back to her father. Leaning closer to his ear she lowered her voice into a whisper, "Is mammy mad at me?"

Even though the little girl intended to whisper her worries to her father she wasn't very quiet about it. Fiona heard every word and her face dropped in horror.

"What? No…" Fiona moved forward and kissed the back of her head before she moved around to Michael's side so she could see her daughter's face. "What makes you think I'm mad at you baby?"

"Aunt Marie wa' always mad at Daniel…he said it wa' because a me," Caitlin moved to rest her head against Michael's so that they were cheek to cheek. "He said I wa' tha favourite an' he hated me cos I was tha babby."

Closing his eyes, Michael tried desperately to push his anger to the back of his mind. No matter how much they tried they couldn't seem to escape Marie and her poisonous words. That woman had successfully managed to turn her own son against Caitlin by her own selfish actions, and that made his worries all the more potent.

"He shouldn't have said such horrible things to you baby," Fiona told her softly as she shifted Meaghan to a more comfortable position. "Come and sit down and you can hold your sister."

Caitlin's eyes grew wide and she moved her head away from Michaels to lean down and kiss Meaghan's forehead, lingering over her when she heard the baby giggle.

"Look she's laughin'," she told her mother gleefully.

"That's because she loves you," Fiona grinned as her eyes lifted to meet Michael's worried gaze. Nodding slightly she moved towards the couch and sat down, indicating for them to follow her.

Michael knew that it was time they sat down and spoke to their daughter about the dangers with Marie; he just didn't want to scare her in the process. Moving towards the couch he loosened his grip on Caitlin and lowered her onto the soft cushions before he took the seat beside her until she was sandwiched in between himself and Fiona.

He watched with adoration when Fiona shifted slightly and manoeuvred Meaghan, placing her into their eldest daughter's arms. The smiles his two daughters gave one another melted away the anxiety and he once again wondered how he had survived without his family for so long. He couldn't even remember what his life had been like before Fiona had come into it, and when she presented him with Caitlin, he hadn't looked back once.

When she was settled, Caitlin moved her arms down to cuddle her sister and laid her cheek atop of her head.

"I love me babby," she smiled when she hugged the baby close. "She's me real sista."

"She'll always be your real sister baby," Fiona told her softly as she ran her fingers over her hair. "Long after me and daddy have gone you two will always have each other."

"Did ya hold Aunt Claire like this mammy?" Caitlin asked her when she gazed down into the baby's eyes. Both of the Westen girls smiled at each other, both of them sharing a bond that only sisters could understand.

Fiona watched her two daughter's interactions and couldn't help the pang of loss when she thought of her own sister and how much she missed her. Meaghan was only eight weeks old but already she recognised Caitlin's voice and looked for her when she came into the room. She knew many of Meaghan's moods changed when her big sister came home from school. They were already so connected to each other.

"I held your Aunt Claire when she was smaller than Meaghan," she told Caitlin with a smile. "I held her right after she was born."

"Ya did?" Caitlin asked, her eyes growing wide. "Like I did Meaghan?"

Fiona nodded when a flash of a memory burst into her mind only to fade away just as quickly. There had been many times over the years when she'd missed Claire more than ever, especially when she'd been pregnant with Caitlin.

Nodding her head she lifted her eyes to catch Michael's apprehensive gaze and she reached across the back of the couch to entwine her fingers with his.

"Caitlin, you know what to do if a stranger tries to talk to you without us don't you?" Fiona asked cautiously, her eyes dropping from Michael's.

"Yep," Caitlin nodded emphatically. "I kick tham like Uncle Sam showed me."

"Uncle Sam showed you how to kick a stranger?" Michael asked in surprise. He knew Sam was totally besotted with his two daughters and he was more than grateful to have him in all of their lives. He was trying to think of when Sam had been alone with Caitlin long enough to teach her his version of self defence when his little girl caught his attention.

"Yep, do ya want me ta show ya?" she asked with a toothy grin.

"Maybe later honey," he nodded before he tapped her nose with his finger. "Me and your mom want to talk to you about your Aunt Marie."

Caitlin stilled and lowered her eyes back onto the baby in her arms. Tugging her sister closer she swallowed heavily as she looked up at her mother. "I don' want ta go back."

"No," Fiona spoke reassuringly, her hands smoothing over her daughter's hair. "You're never going back okay. Never."

"Never ever?" Caitlin asked worriedly. "Ya promise?"

It was Michael who spoke when he saw how Fiona was finding it hard to keep herself from crumbling. Focussing on their joined hands across the back of the couch he squeezed her fingers until she looked up at him.

"We'll never let you go honey," he told her softly. "But your Aunt Marie is sick…she thinks you should still be with her—"

"But I don' want ta live wit' har," Caitlin gasped, her wide eyes looking up at him. "I want ta stay wit' you an' mammy."

"Baby you're staying with us always, okay," Fiona told her reassuringly as she reached out to wipe drool away from Meaghan's chin with her towel bib. "We want to make sure you're safe that's all, and if you ever see anyone near your school or when you're out with your nana…"

"Like a stranger?" Caitlin asked looking from Fiona and then to Michael.

"Yes honey," Michael told her softly. "A stranger. ..anyone who tries to talk to you or ask your name."

"Okay," Caitlin nodded thoughtfully. "Casey said a man called ta har when I wa' in tha bathroom. She ran away ta tell Miss Andrews."

Fiona drew in a sharp breath and shot her eyes to Michael who was looking just as scared as she was. Moving a little closer to her two daughters she tried desperately to stop herself from shaking when she lowered her lips to Caitlin's hair.

"I'll be asking Miss Andrews about it on Monday," she whispered. "But if anyone talks to you when we're not there you got straight inside and tell someone okay?"

"Okay," Caitlin nodded, lifting her head to smile up at her mother.

"This is important baby," Fiona told her as she tried to keep her voice calm. "We want to keep you safe."

"Bu' I'm stayin' with you an' daddy?" Caitlin's eyes grew wide as she looked from one parent to the other. "Ya won't let har take me?"

"No," Michael's voice rose slightly when the determination in his voice brought Fiona's eyes up to his. "From now on you wait in school until one of us comes to get you, okay?"

"But Miss Andrews makes us wait outside—"

"I'll talk to her when I take you to school on Monday," he told her as he glanced up at Fiona's raised eyebrow and coughed before he corrected himself. "_We'll_ talk to her when we take you."

"We just want to make sure you're safe all the time baby," Fiona explained when she ran her fingertips over Caitlin's soft skin. "We don't want to stop you doing things with your friends, just…"

"I know mammy," Caitlin smiled up at her and leaned into her side. "I love ya too."

Whether it was the post pregnancy hormones reacting or something else, hearing her daughter say those words brought a wave of emotion to Fiona's eyes. Nodding tearfully she lowered her head and kept her lips against the little girl's hair while she tried to compose herself.

She'd known the pain of being separated from her daughter and the man she loved and she never wanted to feel that way again. She also didn't want to live her life constantly looking over her shoulder either.

Lifting her head she looked across at Michael who was regarding her with worried eyes and she offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Moving away from Caitlin she shifted forward and reached down to take Meaghan from her arms.

"Do you want to go to the beach today sweetie?"

Caitlin's eyes widened in surprise before she leapt off of the couch and bounced up and down on the spot. "YESSSSS…"

"Okay, well go and find your bathing suit for me and then you can call Uncle Sam," Fiona told her with a smile as she kissed Meaghan's head. When Caitlin turned around and ran off in the direction of her bedroom Michael stepped closer and laid his hand on her arm.

"Are you okay?"

Lifting her eyes to his she smiled brightly when she felt some of the darkness lift from her heart. She had to think of this logically. They were living as a married couple under a different name and no members of her family knew where they lived or even if they were still in the same neighbourhood. Madeline didn't have their address written down anywhere and even their cell phone numbers were under assumed names.

"Yes," she told him, feeling lighter than she'd felt in a while. "I actually feel good."

Opening his mouth to speak, Michael's voice died on his lips when Caitlin came skipping back into the room and grinned up at him. Fiona's soft laughter caused a chuckle to ease from his lips when they both looked down at their five year old daughter who was wearing an oversized floppy hat and a pair of sunglasses.

"Baby where did you find that hat?" Fiona asked as she shook her head. "It looks like one of your nana's."

"Yep, nana gave it ta me," she told Fiona proudly. "Do ya like it?"

Twirling around she held onto her hat and wobbled a little when she stopped spinning. Gasping in a breath she turned back around to head back towards her bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Fiona called, her lips turning upwards into a smile.

"I fergot me bag," Caitlin called as she ran, finally disappearing into her room.

"My mother gave her that hat?" Michael asked in dismay before he turned to glance at Fiona's amused grin. "_My_ mother?"

"Oh Michael, she's just enjoying her granddaughter," she told him brightly. "So she gave Caitlin a hat!"

"Remind me to burn it," he grinned, shaking his head when she cast him a teasing smile. "I mean it!"

"Of course you do Michael," she smiled sweetly and lifted Meaghan onto her shoulder before she nuzzled her wispy hair, "I think your daddy needs a hug."

Meaghan giggled as she lifted her head up causing both of her parents to look at each other in surprise. Stepping forward Michael held his hand out to her and stole her from her mother to cradle her against his chest.

When Caitlin came back into the family room both of her parents stared at her open mouthed and not quite sure what to say. Their little girl not only had an oversized hat but she also had an oversized beach bag. All she needed was a pair of big hooped earrings and she could have been a mini Madeline.

"Are you sure you want to take that bag with you baby?" Fiona asked, trying to hide the surprise in her her eyes. "It's a little big."

"Yep, I got all me books in it," she grinned when she moved forward and held the bag open wider to reveal a stack of books. "Look."

"Honey we're going to the beach," Michael reminded her as he rocked side to side when Meaghan started to protest against him.

"Can I call Uncle Sam now?" Caitlin asked, holding onto her mother's hand as she bounced on the spot. "Is he comin' ta tha beach?"

Fiona reached across her to take her phone off of the table and looked down at the blank screen. For a few seconds her mind drifted and took her back to her mother's weak voice, but when she glanced down at her colourful daughter all the sadness melted away just as quickly.

Taking a breath she pressed in Sam's number and handed the phone to Caitlin who held it against her ear and tapped her foot impatiently when Sam didn't answer right away.

"Uncle Sam," Caitlin gasped when he finally answered the phone. "Are ya comin' ta tha beach?"

"_Hey li'l darlin' I sure am. Are you ready to jump the waves with me?"_

"Yep," Caitlin nodded as she readjusted the bag strap on her shoulder. "I brought me book fer ya ta read too."

"_Well you thought of everything didn't ya honey?"_

"Yep."

"_Hey is your dad there?"_

"Do ya want ta talk ta him?" she asked as she walked towards her father without waiting for an answer.

Fiona moved forward and took Meaghan from Michael's arms and indicated for Caitlin to follow her. Slipping the bag from her shoulder it landed with a thump onto the floor and she turned to go after her mother and sister.

When they had gone Michael lifted the phone to his ear and waited until Fiona was out of sight before he lowered his voice. "Sam…I need you to do something for me."

"_What's up Mikey?"_

"I told Fi about the letter last night—"

"_Oh nuts brother, how'd she take it?" _Sam asked quickly his words cutting through Michael's before he could finish.

"She called her mom," Michael told him quietly as he kept his eye on the door for any signs of Fiona. "Listen, Sean told us Patrick's keeping Marie under control but he can't guarantee how long—"

"_Don't say another word brother, I'll call my buddy at Homeland security to keep his eyes open for anything suspicious."_

"That's the thing Sam, we don't know if there's going to be anything suspicious," Michael moved into the kitchen and pressed the phone closer to his mouth. "She could have sent anyone…I just need you to keep your eyes and ears open."

"_I'm on it Mike, don't you worry, I won't let that little Irish psycho get anywhere near that little girl,"_ Sam spoke with such conviction that he left Michael in no doubt that he would do exactly that.

"Thanks Sam," he nodded only to stand upright and raise his voice when Caitlin came back into the room. "So…uh, you go and pick up my mom and we'll meet you there?"

"_Ahh the missus back huh?"_ Sam asked with a soft chuckle.

"Something like that!" Closing the phone Michael placed it onto the side of the kitchen counter and moved around to greet his daughter. "Hey…"

"Daddy, do ya promise Aunt Marie isn' goin' ta come fer me?" she asked quietly as she took the big hat and sunglasses off to lay them on the table. Moving towards him her lip began to tremble and she swallowed heavily when he stepped towards her.

Without a word Michael bent down and lifted her effortlessly into his arms to hug her close against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Closing his eyes, he vowed to whoever was listening that he would kill anyone who came near his children.

"I promise you honey," he whispered against her ear, punctuating each word with a kiss. "I will never let anyone take you away from us."

Caitlin squeezed him tighter before she moved backwards and swiped a hand across her wet cheek. "Ya promise?"

Swallowing hard Michael nodded before he moved forward to kiss her. "Do you trust me?"

For a moment Caitlin scrunched her eyes in confusion and looked at him questioningly before he realised she didn't really understand what he meant. Before he could speak, Fiona came out of the bedroom carrying Meaghan in her car seat.

"Daddy means do you feel safe with him?" she asked softly as she placed Meaghan's seat onto the floor and turned to check that she was still sleeping before she stepped towards Michael and Caitlin. "If you were ever anywhere and was scared, who would you want to make things better?"

Caitlin turned back to her father and touched his face with her fingers. "I'd want Daddy."

"That's what it means to trust someone baby," Fiona smiled. "You trust your dad to always be there for you if you're ever upset or scared."

Nodding her head, Caitlin glanced back at her mother before she turned to Michael again only to surge forward and wrap her arms around him.

"Ya won' let har make me go," she told him as she held him tight. "I'm goin' ta stay with ya ferever."

"Yes you are honey," he grinned, peppering her cheek with kisses only to tug her tighter before he slowly lowered her to the floor. "Have you got everything you want to take with you?"

Caitlin looked around her and nodded before she moved towards Meaghan's car seat and sat down beside her to take hold of her hand and gently stroke her fingers. Leaning in she kissed the baby's head and stood up again to grab her bag.

"Don't you want to take your hat baby?" Fiona asked when she watched her daughter's smile return.

"Yep," she beamed and made a grab for her hat and sunglasses before she heaved the beach bag onto her shoulder. "I'm ready."

"Okay," Michael laughed when Caitlin lifted the hat up and placed it onto her head. Holding out his hand to her she wrapped her fingers around his and smiled up at him adoringly.

Fiona sighed happily and looked around the room making sure everything was locked down and that all of the plugs were turned off. Turning back around, the sight she saw before her made her heart melt with love for her beautiful family.

Michael held onto Caitlin with one hand and Meaghan's car seat in the other. Both of them were watching her expectantly and she suddenly felt herself blush under Michael's eyes. Self consciously she ran her fingers through her hair when she couldn't remember if she'd even brushed it this morning.

"You look beautiful Fi," he told her honestly when he offered her a smile that he only ever reserved for her.

Fiona could feel warmth creep over her cheeks but she combatted it when she moved forward and captured his face between her hands. Smiling up at him she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, lingering against him for a few seconds before she pulled away to gaze into his eyes.

"Mammy," Caitlin sighed impatiently. "Uncle Sam won' be able ta find us if ya don' stop kissin' daddy."

Caitlin's words sparked off a spurt of laughter from both of her parents as Fiona moved forward once more to kiss Michael again before stepping back to hold her hand out to her daughter.

"Come on baby, let's take that bag of yours out to the car." Reaching down she took the beach bag from the little girl and slipped it over her shoulder before she grabbed her own bag from the top of the kitchen counter.

"Have ya got books in yer's too mammy?" Caitlin asked when Fiona opened the front door to usher her through.

"No baby," Fiona told her with a smile. "I've got things to protect you from…things…"

Michael caught her eye and grinned when he knew she had protection in her bag for her family that didn't have anything to do with the sunshine. Shaking his head he picked up the car seat and looked down at his sleeping baby daughter knowing that he would do anything to protect his three beautiful girls. Pulling the door closed behind him he turned to lock the door before taking a look around the front of the house to make sure everything was secure. When he was satisfied that everything was locked down tight he turned around to follow Fiona and Caitlin towards the car.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews, PM's and favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate all of your comments. RL has kept me busy this week so I haven't managed to send everyone a personal thank you. Please know I appreciate every one of you for takes the time to read my stories. **

**Thank you also to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for reading through parts of this and for making sure I stayed out of the M territory!**

**Also a big thank you too to the girls on twitter for all of your support**

5

Michael sat on one of the sun loungers that Sam had brought and watched his friend holding onto his daughter's hand, both of them kicking water at each other. Even though he was sitting a long way back from the frothing waves he could still hear the unmistakable chatter of his five year old and just hearing her voice calmed him a little. Slipping his sunglasses over his eyes he looked around him at the people on the beach, every one of them a possible threat.

Meaghan giggled and he turned his head, feeling some of the tension melt away when he watched her cooing up at his mother. He knew she was totally besotted with both of his children and as he watched her interaction with his youngest daughter, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride rising up inside him.

When he and Nate were growing up they had missed out on the closeness that he was experiencing with his own family. He never really felt that bond with his mother, not like the one he had now, and he knew that was mostly due to his relationship with Fiona. She had been the one to open his heart and show him that he was capable of love even though he'd always thought the opposite.

"I can feel your eyes on me, Michael," Madeline told him without lifting her head. Instead she beamed down at the baby in her arms who cooed right back at her. "You could have gone with Fi to buy the juice; I would have been fine on my own with the baby."

"I know that mom, I'm just—"

"Being overprotective?" she asked, cutting him off before he could continue. Lifting her eyes to his she sighed huffily. "No one is going to take your girls, Michael."

Shaking his head, Michael sighed heavily and turned his attention back towards Sam and Caitlin who were still jumping over the waves. He couldn't seem to shake the worry that always ate away at him ever since Caitlin came into their lives. He couldn't help how he felt. He hadn't been prepared for the intensity of his love for the two little girls who had become his biggest priority. He knew getting back into the CIA was something he had to do if only to guarantee their safety, but he had to deal with the issue of Marie first.

A shadow formed over him and he glanced up to see Fiona hovering beside him, her smile causing the frown on his face to disappear. Bending over him she kissed his lips before pulling back again to gesture towards the man approaching them.

"Look who's back in town."

Sitting upright in his seat he turned his head and watched as Barry approached them, his hair sticking up in every different direction. "Barry," he nodded when the man came to stand beside him. "It's been…a while…"

"It sure has Mike," he nodded. "I've been in New York taking a…_trip_…you know how it is."

Meaghan squealed and kicked her feet when Madeline played peek-a-boo with her, drawing the spikey haired man's attention towards her. Taking a few moments he took a good look at the child in Madeline's arms before he calculated in his head just how long he'd been gone. He was in the process of counting backwards when a little girl charged towards them, stopping him in his tracks.

"Daddy…" Caitlin squealed as she came running towards them, with Sam following close behind. She stopped when she got to the lounger and took hold of Michael's hands to push them aside so that she could climb up onto his lap to face him. "Did ya see us jumpin' tha waves?"

Michael slipped his arms around her and pulled forward to place a soft kiss onto her forehead before he nodded. "I saw you honey."

"I got Uncle Sam all wet," she giggled dramatically as she placed one of her hands over her mouth before she shifted in her father's lap to sit down. Lowering her hand she grinned up at Sam who took a beer from the cooler and winked at her before he popped the lid.

"Baby, I got you a juice," Fiona smiled when she walked around Michael to sit in the empty lounger in centre. Popping a straw into the hole she held it out to her little girl and grinned up at Barry who seemed to have lost all power of speech.

"Mammy, do ya want ta come inta tha water?"

"Maybe later baby," Fiona told her softly as she tapped her bare leg and gestured towards Barry. "Say hello to Barry."

Caitlin took a long sip of her drink before she swallowed and turned to the man standing near her father. Popping the straw out of her mouth she looked up at him before breaking out into a smile. "Do ya like tha sea?"

Barry's mouth opened and closed as he looked from Michael to Fiona before looking back down at the little girl in his friends lap.

"Uh…" he stuttered and nodded towards her. "I… uh…guess so…"

"Do ya want ta jump wit' me an' Uncle Sam?"

Swallowing his initial shock, Barry smiled and shook his head before he sank down into the sand in front of Michael and Fiona's loungers. He could see Fiona's amusement and he tried to think how long he'd actually been gone.

"I think Barry's scared of getting wet honey," Sam told her after he'd drained the rest of his beer and placed the empty glass bottle back into the cooler. "Have ya finished your juice?"

Caitlin slipped the straw back into her mouth and swallowed greedily until she had drained the carton. Popping the straw back out she took a breath and swiped her hair out of her eyes. "Yep."

"Caitlin where's your hat?" Fiona asked her as she looked around the sand until she spotted the smaller cap she'd packed to replace Madeline's hideous straw one. Picking it up she dusted it off and placed it onto the little girls head before she held out her arms to her.

Caitlin grinned and scrambled off of her father lap to engulf her mother in a tight hug before pulling back to stand beside her. "Can I go now mammy?"

"Okay baby but you stay with Uncle Sam, okay?" Fiona warned when she saw Sam step closer and hold out his hand.

"Ah quit worrying Fi," he told her when Caitlin slipped her hand into his. "Come on li'l darlin'…I'll race ya."

When Sam released her hand and started to run, Caitlin screamed after him, giggling when she caught up with him and convinced she had won the race because she was the faster out of the two of them.

"Exactly how long have I been gone?" Barry asked in bemusement. "You have a daughter?"

"Actually," Fiona laughed when she gestured towards Madeline and Meaghan. "We have two."

Barry's mouth opened wider and he shook his head, he'd completely forgotten about the baby he'd seen when he'd first arrived. Gasping in a breath he watched the two people before him as he tried to comprehend how his two on again, off again friends had come to have two children. He was trying to formulate some kind of question when he spotted the flash of gold that adorned both of their fingers and gasped.

"Wait…you're married?"

Fiona glanced down at the ring on her finger and turned to look at the man she loved. Shrugging his shoulders Michael's lips turned upwards into a smile when he looked back towards their spikey haired friend.

"Unofficially," Michael told him cryptically. "It's a long story."

"Okaaaay," Barry nodded, his eyes once more drawn to the baby in Madeline's lap. "And this one?"

"Meaghan," Fiona provided when she turned towards Madeline to peer at her baby girl. "She's two months old."

"Wow two months huh?" he nodded, still not quite believing it. Opening his mouth he thought about how to broach the subject of the child bouncing in the sea with Sam. As if reading his mind, Michael followed his eyes and smiled when he saw his eldest daughter running rings around Sam.

"Caitlin is five," Michael provided when he could see the questions ticking over in Barry's mind. "Yes she's ours."

Before Barry could ask any more questions Meaghan chose that moment to let out a cry that drew everyone's attention on to her. Getting up from the lounger Fiona reached down to take her baby from Madeline who stretched her legs when she had her lap free.

Meaghan's face scrunched up as she squeezed her eyes shut before letting out another wail. Looking behind her Fiona moved back towards her lounger and sat back down before she pulled one of Meaghan's bottles out of the baby bag she'd brought with her.

"Hey," she soothed softly as she manoeuvred herself and Meaghan so that they were both comfortable before she handed the bottle to Michael so that he could take the cap off for her. "Are you thirsty sweetie?"

Michael handed the bottle back to her and watched intently when Fiona dabbed a few drops of the water onto Meaghan's lips, allowing her to test it before she adjusted the bottle. After a few seconds the baby started to suckle and relaxed against her mother.

Barry had watched the whole exchange with barely contained surprise. He'd only ever seen Fiona this gentle with her weaponry. He had so many questions but when he opened his mouth to ask just how they had hidden their eldest daughter, whatever he was going to ask died on his lips when he caught the look that passed between them.

He'd known Michael and Fiona for a while now and they'd always had one of those relationships that was unbreakable. Yes they'd had their differences but he hadn't met a more solid couple, even when they'd insisted that they weren't together.

"So…" tearing his eyes away from Fiona and the baby, Michael turned back to Barry and regarded him carefully. "What brought you back to Miami?"

The question threw Barry for a second and he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he considered his answer. "You know how it is when…"

Michael watched Barry intently when he shifted uncomfortably in the sand. The last time they had heard from the spikey haired man was after the fiasco with his client book was stolen. "So you stayed in New York?"

Lifting his head, Barry nodded slowly when a slow smile emerged onto his lips. "I met a lady who made the stay…you know…"

"I get it," Michael nodded, and he did get it. He wasn't supposed to stay in Ireland for as long as he had. He'd ignored orders to get out because he couldn't leave the woman he'd fallen so helplessly in love with.

Seeing the tranquil look on Michael's face, Barry nodded with understanding. "Yeah I know you do…"

Caitlin's laughter took Barry's attention away from the man before him and he slowly shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day."

When he didn't hear a reply he turned back in time to see Michael take the baby from Fiona and was amazed by the transformation in the usually stoic spy. This man was a doting father and a far cry from the man he'd come to know. The Michael Westen he'd known had taken apart mobsters with his bare hands.

Moving forward Fiona got up from the lounger and cast her eyes towards the little girl who was splashing around in the water. The more she thought about it the more she realised that keeping Caitlin from doing things like this was allowing Marie to win. The last thing she was ever going to do was let that woman rule her daughter's life. Turning towards Barry she motioned for him to follow her when she started to walk across the sand towards her daughter and Sam.

"I'd go," Madeline told him as she smiled at the baby in her son's arms who was fighting to stay awake. Lifting her eyes back up to the man still seated on the sand she reached into her bag and pulled out her cigarette pouch. "You don't want to keep her waiting."

Jumping up from the sand, Barry looked behind him and nodded cautiously as he turned and walked across the sand to catch up to Fiona who was already almost at the edge of the water. He watched in amazement when she ran the rest of the way to meet the little girl who was running towards her and once again he wondered how long he'd been away.

000

Later that afternoon they all arrived back at Madeline's house for a late dinner before Michael and Fiona took their family home. Madeline had only been inside for a minute or so before she instantly started hurrying around the kitchen pulling lids from the air tight containers that she'd packed into the fridge earlier that morning.

"Nana do ya want me ta help?" Caitlin asked when she blew a strand of hair out of her eyes before she walked into the kitchen to smile up at the older woman.

Madeline looked down at her granddaughter, her lips blooming into a smile as she reached into the cupboard and took out a stack of plates.

"You can put these on the table for me," she told the little girl when she came forward to hold out her hands. "They're heavy, can you manage?"

"I can do it," Caitlin grinned up at her and huffed a little when she held onto the plates. "See I'm strong."

"Yes you are sweetheart," Madeline told her adoringly, stopping to watch her when she unloaded the heavy plates onto the table, earning an affectionate pat on the head from Sam.

"You doin' okay there kiddo?" he asked when she stood back and dramatically swiped the back of her hand across her forehead.

"Yep," she grinned. "I'm helpin' nana."

"You sure are honey," he nodded when he looked towards the door. "Where's your dad?"

Shrugging her shoulders Caitlin looked around her and beamed a smile at her mother who came into the house carrying Meaghan in her car seat.

"Hi baby," she greeted when her eldest daughter moved towards her. "Daddy's just getting your bag out of the car."

"Okay," she nodded. "I'm helpin' nana wit' tha dinner."

"You are?" Fiona asked with a smile when she moved further into the family room to place Meaghan's seat beside the couch. Looking down at the baby she stroked her fingertip over her cheek and smiled down at her when she didn't wake up.

"Yep," Caitlin told her proudly. "I put tha plates on tha table."

Before Fiona could answer, Caitlin spotted her father coming through the door and ran towards him. "Daddy…"

Placing the bags onto the floor Michael grinned down at her and scooped her up against his hip and held onto her while he walked into the room.

"Uncle Sam let me listen ta tha radio," she beamed. "An' it wa' loud."

"Really?" Michael asked her as he turned his attention onto his friend who grinned sheepishly. "He never lets _me_ listen to the radio!"

"Yeah well you're not as cute as her," Sam chuckled, winking at Caitlin before he looked across at Fiona. "So I take it Barry didn't want to come to this little…shin dig?"

"No, he said he had somewhere he needed to be," She told him, shrugging her shoulders. Glancing back at Meaghan she walked past him and made her way into the kitchen to help Madeline with the dinner.

"Is she okay?" Sam asked softly, lifting his eyes to cast a cautious look in Fiona's direction.

"Yeah," Michael nodded as he lowered Caitlin to the floor. Skimming his fingers over her head he watched her when she moved to her bag and sat down onto the floor before she pulled various books out and laid them onto the floor.

Moving away from his daughter, Michael motioned Sam to follow and lowered his voice to a whisper when they were far enough away. "This thing with Marie—"

"Say no more, Mikey," Sam told him, keeping his voice low as he spoke. "I've had a word with some buddies of mine and they're all gonna keep their eyes and ears open for ya."

"Thanks Sam," Michael nodded, looking behind him at his sleeping daughter. "Sean said he was handling things from his end…I just need to make sure."

"No one is going to take these two girls from you Mike," Sam told him with conviction when he gazed from the sleeping baby to the little girl who was looking down at her books. "I promise ya, anyone comes near 'em I'll rip their arms off."

"Boys," Fiona's voice caught them both by surprise when she came to stand beside Michael to wrap her hands around his arm. "What are you two whispering about over here?"

Michael's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to try and form some kind of answer but before he could speak, Sam jumped in with an explanation.

"You," he told her with a grin, obviously happy with his own explanation. "Yep, we were talking about you sister…just don't let it got you your head!"

Fiona watched him dubiously before she turned her eyes towards the man she loved to meet him with a suspicious gaze.

"Me?"

"Uh…yeah…" Michael nodded, swallowing hard when she kept her eyes glued to his.

"Oh really?" she asked then as she released his arm and folded her arms across her chest. "So what about me?"

Sam could already see Michael's eyes widen and he sighed heavily before he stepped in to save his friend before he tripped over his own words.

"See now you've gone and ruined the surprise," he huffed dramatically as he feigned annoyance. Nodding towards his friend he waited for Michael to come up with an reason but all he seemed to do was open and close his mouth.

"Yeah," Michael started. "I…uh…was going to…uh…"

"Take you out," Sam provided helpfully, his eyes darting to the man beside him as he watched the smile emerge on his lips.

Michael nodded and grinned, relieved that his friend had come up with a reasonable explanation. Turning his eyes back to Fiona he met her suspicious gaze and tried to give her his best smile. Stepping closer he slipped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him to kiss her temple before he skimmed her cheek with the tips of his fingers.

"I thought we could go out somewhere, just the two of us."

Fiona's suspicions slowly melted away and she watched him for a few moments before she slipped a hand over his stomach.

"It's a nice idea Michael, but what about the girls?"

"See that's where I come in," Sam grinned. "Well me and Maddie actually."

"What's going on over there you three?" Madeline asked when she piled platefuls of food onto the table. "Come and eat, I made plenty."

"Sam was just offering to babysit for us," Fiona told her with a smile as she left Michael's side to kneel down beside Meaghan's seat to pull her hat from her head. Checking that the baby was okay she got to her feet and met Caitlin half way to look down at her hands. "Go and wash up baby."

"Okay," Caitlin beamed as she skipped past her towards the door that led out to the hallway.

Shaking her head Fiona turned back to the table and followed Michael to her seat. When they both sat down she smiled across at Caitlin who ran back into the room, holding her hands up for her mother's inspection.

"So where are you two going?" Madeline asked when she took a seat beside Fiona. "I hope it's somewhere nice Michael."

Nodding his head, Michael cast an accusing look towards Sam before he stabbed his salad with a fork and shovelled it into his mouth.

"Yes Michael, where _are_ we going?"

Turning his head Michael could already see the light sparking in Fiona's eyes and he knew right in that moment that he would give her anything she asked him for. Reaching under the table he wrapped his fingers around her hand and squeezed.

"Somewhere nice," he told her with a smile.

"Okay brother, when you decide where you're going let me know," Sam told him with a grin. "Whad'ya say Maddie? You up for a spot of babysitting?"

"I'm not a babby," Caitlin pouted when she looked up at the adults around her. "I'm big now."

"We know you are honey," Sam told her, tapping her on the nose with his finger. "It's just what it's called."

"Wha' because Meaghan's a babby?" Lifting some salad to her lips Caitlin took a bit of the cucumber and chewed as she looked at Sam expectantly.

Shrugging his shoulders, Sam lifted his beer bottle to his lips and took a swig before he lowered the bottle back onto the table. Smiling down at her he cocked his head to the side and granted her a lopsided grin. "Yeah, honey that's why."

000

Coming out of the bedroom Fiona moved towards the fridge and checked how many bottles she'd left for Meaghan before she looked down at the dress she was wearing. She still had no idea where they were going but after the stares she'd received from some of the mothers at the school earlier that day, she hadn't realised how much she'd missed dressing up like this.

She smiled evilly when she remembered the meeting with Caitlin's teacher that morning and the reaction of the other mother's when Michael had strode in with her.

_They had left Meaghan with Madeline that morning when they'd taken Caitlin into school. As soon as she stepped through the gates she could see many pairs of eyes upon her and for the first time in her life she actually felt a little self-conscious._

_There were times before she had Meaghan when she would plan her outfits and make sure she was immaculate before she even stepped out of the door. This morning however, Meaghan had awoken late and she hadn't even had time to shower before she was swept along with the morning routine._

_She could already spot the clicks of mothers, those ones that stood in a group gossiping about the other women around them. One of them looked her up and down before turning back towards the women beside her, no doubt tattling about Fiona's jeans and shirt. Before Caitlin, Fiona would have marched right across to them and put them on their backsides, but she had to remind herself that she was responsible now. Mother's didn't go around punching each other…_

_She was contemplating their downfall when she heard a gasp from one of the women and she followed her gaze to see what had caused her to become so…giddy._

_Michael stepped up beside her to take her hand in his and in that one moment she felt like she had regained all of the power. The man beside her was causing all the women to practically swoon around him and he hadn't even noticed. Leaning into his side she looked up at him and smiled before she reached up to kiss the underside of his chin, coaxing his gaze down to hers before she kissed his mouth._

_For a few seconds he lingered over her lips before he pulled away and held onto her hand, still a little uncomfortable with any kind of public displays._

"_Those damn women over there are gawking at you," she told him in a whisper when she leaned in closer. "They had the nerve to talk about me!"_

_Lifting his eyes to the women in question he glanced over them with very little interest before he held her closer. He'd kept his arm around her all the time until Caitlin's teacher came out of the school to call everyone inside._

"_Mr and Mrs McBride," she spoke, her smile widening when she moved towards them, extending her hand in greeting. "How nice to see you both."_

_When Caitlin ran up to them she pulled on Michael's hand and manoeuvred him away from Fiona and her teacher so that she could drag him towards her friends._

"_Daddy, this is Casey," she beamed when she clung to his hand and bounced up and down. "She's ma bestest friend."_

"_Yeah?" Michael smiled down at her and nodded towards the little girl, suddenly uncomfortable with the small group of five year old girls who all spoke to him at once._

"_Caitlin talks of her daddy all the time," Miss Anderson smiled when she turned her eyes away from Caitlin's father to regard the woman before her._

"_Yeah," Fiona laughed when she shook Miss Anderson's hand. "She is close to him."_

"_I can tell," she smiled. "And how is your baby…Meaghan is it?"_

"_Yes she's good, growing fast."_

"_Caitlin talks of her family all the time," the teacher smiled. "She's a very happy little girl, although she has spoken of an old family she used to live with…"_

"_Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Fiona lowered her voice as she spoke and looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. "It's complicated but for Caitlin's safety I need you to keep her inside with you until me or her father collect her."_

"_I don't—"_

"_The old family she talks about is my brother and his wife. She stayed with them for a while when I was…working."_

"_I see, and you don't get along?" she asked curiously._

"_Like I said, it's complicated," Fiona nodded. "And it's not something I want to talk about right now. All I'm asking is for you to keep Caitlin with you and don't let anyone but me or Michael come for her."_

_Miss Anderson glanced behind her and watched Caitlin's interactions with her father and the other children and found herself nodding without questioning. Turning back around she patted Fiona on the arm and smiled. _

"_Of course," she told her before she stepped away and clapped her hands together to gain the attention of the children around her._

_Caitlin threw her arms around her father when he bent to kiss her, glorying in the fact that she could show him off to her friends. When she released him she waved to her mother before she ran off behind her class mates and disappeared inside the building._

_Michael watched until he could no longer see her before he turned around to make his way back to Fiona, still mindful of the women who still watched the two of them. Sliding his arm around her shoulders he bent forward and pressed a kiss onto her lips, taking her breath away. _

"So where is Michael taking you?" Madeline asked, her voice bringing Fiona thoughts back to her. "I hope it's somewhere nice."

Fiona turned around to face her and smoothed her dress over her stomach. Looking down at herself she smiled up at the older woman before she combed her fingers through her long hair.

"Honey you look beautiful," Madeline told her as she reached out to still Fiona's hand. "Just go out tonight and have fun okay?"

"Thanks Madeline," Fiona sighed, her fingers squeezing Madeline's as she smiled. "Are you sure you're okay with this? We've both got out phones if you need us—"

"Sweetheart, we'll all be fine," Madeline reassured her when she spotted her son coming into the room, pulling on his suit jacket.

Moving up beside them his gaze lingered over Fiona's body before he slipped an arm around her waist.

"Sam's reading a story to Caitlin and Meaghan's asleep in her crib," he told her as he adjusted his sleeves. "If you need us—"

"I know," Madeline huffed as she shook her head. "I've done this kind of thing before you know…now will you two just go…"

Michael nodded and glanced back towards the bedrooms while Fiona reached across to pull Madeline into a tight hug. Bidding her a soft goodbye she followed Michael out of the door, clasping his offered hand as they moved.

000

Michael opened the door to the quaint little restaurant, holding it open for the beautiful woman beside him. Fiona smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling in the candlelight that emanated from the surrounding tables.

When they reached the reception, Michael took hold of Fiona's hand before addressing the man at reception. "Hi, we have a reservation, McBride."

Looking down at the computer screen, the young man smiled and called someone over. "James, would you show Mr and Mrs McBride to their table please?"

Michael felt Fiona's hand squeeze his tightly and turned to her, offering her an adoring smile. "Shall we?" he whispered, his hand leaving hers to slide around her waist before coming to nestle in the small of her back.

Smiling brightly, she moved towards their table and sat down when the attendant pulled the chair out for her. "Thank you," she acknowledged politely, her gaze falling onto Michael when he sat down opposite her.

"If you would like to study the wine menu, your assigned waitress will be over shortly to take your order," James offered them both a polite smile, before stepping away from the table.

As soon as they were alone, Fiona reached a hand across the table to clasp Michael's hand softly. "How did you find this place?" she asked with a smile, "I didn't even know this was here."

"Sam," he grinned, his eyes sparkling as he spoke. "I wanted to bring you somewhere special and he suggested here."

"Sam Axe," she chuckled as she rubbed her thumb lightly over his knuckles. "Who'd have thought he was a secret romantic."

"I know…I don't know if I'm more disturbed or impressed," he grinned, their light banter filling his heart with a happiness that he'd been feeling a lot of lately. Taking a moment, his eyes scanned over her face, drinking in the softness of her skin. Continuing on their path downwards, his eyes lingers over her neck then down to the summer dress she wore which showed just the right amount of cleavage. She was absolutely beautiful, and he constantly had to keep reminding himself that his constant happiness these days was all down to her.

"What's going through that mind of yours?" she asked softly, her cheeks reddening when he kept her in his adoring gaze. Just lately he had been watching her more, and he was always reluctant to leave her side.

His lips lifted into a smile and he reached across the table to enclose both of her hands in his. Running his thumb across the wedding band on her finger he lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss onto her knuckles.

"I'm thinking," he told her, his voice low and seductive. "That this is the first night we've had alone in almost a year... I really want to take you away from here…and…"

Fiona's eyes sparked with fire and she squeezed his fingers when she couldn't escape from the desire in his eyes. Swallowing hard she felt her body react against his touch and for a moment she wished that the table between them would just disappear.

"Then…" she whispered, the tone in her voice keeping his eyes fixed on hers. "Why don't you?"

Michael's mouth dropped open but before he could form a coherent reply their waitress came to stand beside the table, her bright cheery voice defusing the passion in both of their eyes. Releasing each other's hands, Michael and Fiona sat back in their chairs and pushed all thoughts of…connecting…away to smile at her simultaneously before they both took the offered menu.

000

Michael slid the key into the loft door with great difficulty as he tried to ignore the soft caresses from the woman beside him. Hearing the lock snap open, he pushed Fiona in front of him, needing to enter their own private world that was away from the noise of the outside.

Slamming the door closed, he turned around to lock it before grabbing hold of her arm and pulling her into his chest. Fiona moulded herself to his body, her lips seeking the soft skin of his neck. She heard him mutter something as he lifted his head for her to trace the line of his jaw with her lips, causing his flaccid hands to come alive.

"The loft…" he breathed when she assaulted his neck with kisses. "It's the…only place…"

"Shhh," she whispered, peppering kisses over his jaw before she reached up to pull his head down so that she could see his eyes. "I don't care where we are…we only have a few hours, do you want to waste time talking?"

Shaking his head he smiled down at her in complete awe before he lowered his mouth to hers to capture her lips in a deep drugging kiss that left both of them breathless. In the back of his mind all he could think of was that the last time they were here it was to tell her family to stay away, but the second her lips left his to place open mouthed kisses over his throat he was finding it difficult to concentrate on anything else.

Fiona gasped when his hands moved over her body until he caught the hem of her dress. Breaking off their kiss she lifted her arms when he tugged at the material, willingly allowing him to free her of the cloth barrier that kept them apart. Almost instantly his was kissing her bare shoulder, marvelling at the softness of her skin.

Pulling back, he gazed down into her eyes, bestowing her with all the love he could muster. This was their first night on their own for such a long time and he wanted to make it special for both of them. No words were spoken as he walked her backwards, edging her towards the bed in the centre of the room. His lips met hers again in a mixture of passion and pure love. Michael refused to release her, even when they reached the bed and fell into a tangled heap onto the soft mattress. He wanted to enjoy the freedom of being with her without listening out for Caitlin or Meaghan, if only for a few hours.

His hands slid lower, his fingertips skimming over her soft skin with a delicate touch as he lifted his head to gaze down at her. He loved her completely, something that no longer scared him as it once had. With a soft smile, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips before lifting himself up from her to sit on the edge of the bed to start taking off his shoes.

"Michael," she whispered when he turned his head to smile at her as he began to unbutton his shirt. Sitting up, she crawled towards him like a cat, moulding herself to him as she attacked his neck with a string of sensual kisses. Pulling his body around, she found his mouth with her own, laughing joyously as she kissed him once only to pull away just as quickly. He surrendered to her completely, allowing her to push him backwards until he was laying prone on the bed and totally at her mercy.

Straddling his thighs, Fiona leaned back down to his face and kissed his chin gently while her fingers started working to free him of his clothes. One button followed another until his shirt lay open beneath her hands, and he lifted slightly to help her free him of it. Catching his lips again, she kissed him with all the pent-up desire, everything that had been brewing between them since the restaurant. She met his eyes as her hands moved down his chest until she reached the waistband on his pants.

"Fi," he whispered between kisses, his hands trying to help her but she pushed his hands aside.

"Let me," she whispered as she hovered above his lips. She gazed down at him intently, enjoying the fire that burst into his eyes when she began to push the material aside.

"Fi," he gasped, trying to lay still while she inflicted her heavenly torture upon him. "Fiona..."

"Shh," she whispered, closing the short distance between their lips to kiss him. Michael lost himself in her touch, succumbing to the warmth of her hand. Each touch provoked another, each kiss adding a burst of flame to the now burning fire that raged throughout them. Tearing his lips from hers, Michael helped her remove his pants, all the while stopping for a few seconds when she kissed him again until they were both completely bare.

Closing the gap between them, Fiona closed her eyes with the sensations that he always caused inside her and began her slow movements as she enticed moans of surrender from the man beneath her body. She kept the pace deliberately slow, enjoying the look of complete surrender in his eyes.

He gasped her name before he shifted their bodies so that she now lay beneath him. Opening his eyes, he gazed down into hers adoringly as he bathed her face in soft kisses. With his tenderness came strength as he poured out every ounce of love he felt into her. Fiona clung to him desperately as she felt herself tumbling over the chasm of heaven only to pull him along with her seconds later.

He collapsed on top of her, his breathing heavy and unsteady. He didn't want to move from her body, and he knew she would gladly sleep like this all night if he'd let her. Lifting himself up slightly, he ran his fingers over her flushed cheek.

"Are you okay?"

Lifting her head Fiona moulded her lips to his, answering him with a kiss. With their lips still joined Michael rolled over to his side, taking her with him so she was cocooned against his body. Leaving his lips, she sighed contentedly into his chest, placing a soft kiss on his skin before her eyes closed when she relished his closeness. She missed having this closeness when it was just the two of them, even though she loved being a mother. Sighing against him she kissed his bare chest and burrowed into his warmth and closed her eyes, intending to rest for a few minutes.

Some time later, Fiona opened her eyes to the sound of Michael's phone ringing by the side of the bed. Sitting up slightly, she nudged his shoulder as she looked around the loft. "Michael, wake up."

"Mmm...?" he mumbled, cracking his eyes open.

"Your phone," she told him as she stifled a yawn. Lying back down beside him, she was ready to snuggle into his body waiting until he pulled the phone from his jacket and sank back down into the pillows. Lifting his arm, he invited her to shuffle closer and lay her head on his chest while he answered the phone with the other. "Hi Sam."

Fiona ran her fingers lazily up his chest, enjoying the warmth of his body before she turned to place a soft kiss onto his skin, and then lifted herself up on one elbow to offer him a smile.

"Okay Sam, we're heading home now," he spoke, his eyes lingering over hers. "See you in half an hour."

Snapping the phone closed, he dropped it to the floor beside the bed. Running one hand gently over Fiona's face, he leant up to kiss her soundly. "We have to go."

"I heard," she whispered, hovering close to his lips as she spoke. "Wanna share the shower when we get home?"

"I..." he started only to be silenced by her lips coming down to his for a lingering kiss. He could feel himself losing the battle to push her away, the need to drag themselves out of bed nagging inside his head. Opening his mouth beneath hers, he surrendered to her touch, her intoxicating kiss sending his senses into overdrive.

In the far reaches of Fiona's mind, she knew she had to pull away and fight the urges that kept her bound to him. Breaking the kiss, she lifted herself up so that she could sit up. His soft groan of frustration caused her to smile and she found herself leaning back to kiss him soundly on the lips. "We'll finish this later," she whispered as she pulled back and climbed out of the bed to look around for her clothes.

Michael stared after her, instantly missing her presence. With a groan, he sat up and moved to the edge of the bed in search of his pants. Reaching down, he pulled them on and took a lazy stretch before she handed him his shirt.

Looking around the empty loft he found that he didn't miss this place as much as he thought he would, and that was all because of the woman who was slipping on her shoes. He watched her as he buttoned his shirt, feeling incredibly relaxed. He couldn't think of a time when he had loved her more than he did right now. She was an incredible woman.

Feeling his eyes on her she turned to cast him a sultry smile as she picked up his jacket and held it out to him before she wordlessly made her way towards the loft door. Taking one last look around she smiled at him when she realised that this place didn't remind her of Marie any more. This place was now their own private get away.

When she opened the door, Michael followed her and locked the door behind him before he caught her half way down the stairs. Clasping onto her hand he tugged her backwards and turned her around before he kissed her, leaving her with a promise of so much more. When their lips parted he grinned down at her and took hold of her hand, leading her back to the charger…

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews. PM's and favourite story and author adds. It's been a hectic week again with RL keeping me away from my laptop so I haven't had a lot of time to send everyone a personal thank you. I really do appreciate all of your comments.**

**Thanks also to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for reading through parts of this for me. Also thanks to LeeLee for helping me with the school procedures, it's very different here **_**and**_** a very long time ago since my children were Caitlin's age!**

**Lastly thank you to all of my friends on twitter for your comments, every one is very much appreciated.**

6

Michael and Fiona arrived back at the house a little after midnight, both of them ready to apologise for arriving home so late, but when they stepped through the door it was to see Sam and Madeline playing cards at the table. Looking around, Michael moved towards them and stopped beside the table and waited for one of them to look up at him.

"Uh…hi…" he tried when Madeline laid a card onto the table and grinned triumphantly when she won the game they were playing.

Turning towards him she beamed a smile up at him and sat back in her seat. The look in her eyes was one that he hadn't seen in a very long time and for a moment he wondered what had happened while they were out.

"Hi honey," she smiled. "How was your date?"

"It was…" he smiled at Fiona when she came to stand by his side. "Perfect."

Fiona's cheeks flushed a little when she laid her hand on the centre of Michael's back before she looked around the quiet room.

"How were the girls?"

"Great," Sam grinned when he pushed his chair back. "Caitlin was out like a light and Meaghan hasn't woken up yet."

Fiona's eyes snapped to his and flared with worry. Stepping away from Michael she started to move towards the door when Sam stopped her in her tracks.

"Relax Fi, I went in and checked on her half an hour ago and she was fine."

"She's slept all this time?" she asked in surprise. "She's never gone this long before."

"What can I say," he grinned as he scooped the cards up into his hands. "I have a magic touch!"

"Well the next time she's up at three in the morning I'll give you a call," she quipped before she ran her fingers across Michael's back. "I'm just going to check on them."

Michael's eyes kept on her when she walked away from him and for a moment he found himself missing her presence. He didn't know how it was possible to be this happy, he'd _never_ felt like this before.

"So," Madeline's voice brought him back to her and her eyes sparkled when she fixed him with a knowing smile. "Where did you take her?"

"Yeah Mike," Sam grinned as he pushed the chair back and got to his feet. "Did you take my advice?"

"What advice was that Sam?" Michael asked as he turned away and slipped off his jacket before he made his way into the kitchen.

Madeline's smile widened when she saw the unmistakable dirt mark on the back of his white shirt and she cast a knowing glance towards Sam who nodded that he'd seen it.

"So did you take her to that little place I told ya about," Sam asked, feigning interest as he watched his friend for any signs that he'd heard him, but when he turned away he looked towards Madeline and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well now you're home we should be going." Grabbing her bag from the chair she slipped it over her shoulder and turned to cast an expectant look towards Sam who was still watching Michael with a knowing grin.

When Fiona moved into Meaghan's room, she tiptoed across the floor and stood over the crib to gaze down at the baby inside. Listening intently she moved in a little closer, needing to see for herself that her daughter was indeed still okay.

Reaching inside the crib she laid the back of her hand gently onto Meaghan's head, relieved to feel the warmth flooding into her fingers. She knew she was being irrational and her daughter sleeping for so long should be a good sign, but it still didn't ease her worries. Taking her hand away she listened again before she laid her hand over her daughter's tiny chest. Closing her eyes she relished the feel of the rise and fall she felt beneath her fingers and finally felt satisfied enough to take her hand away.

She allowed her eyes to linger over the sleeping baby, feeling the love wash over here. All those years ago after Michael had left her in Ireland, she never believed that she would ever be happy again. This life with Michael and her daughter's was a perfect end to the story that began all those years ago in Dublin when Michael McBride walked into her life and stole her heart.

Taking one last look in the crib she smiled when Meaghan smacked her lips together and she had to stop herself from reaching inside to pull her into her arms. Being a mother had changed her and she knew that she would die to protect her children. Stepping away from the crib she tiptoed out of the room and moved across to the bedroom next door to peer inside.

She could just see the top of Caitlin's head that was peeking above the duvet, and she was reminded of when she was first born. When Caitlin was tiny she loved to be held close, and Fiona had loved to hold her. In those weeks before she'd had to leave she had kept her beside her for as long as she could. It seemed like a life time ago. Stepping away from the bedroom door she smiled to herself as she headed back towards the family room.

When she came back into the room she caught the look on Sam's face before she looked across at Michael questioningly. It took her just a few seconds to see why Sam was grinning like a Cheshire cat and she could already feel her cheeks redden when she saw the perfect dust handprint against the stark white of his shirt.

"We're heading out Fi," Sam told her with a grin. "Anytime ya need a babysitter while you two have some alone time, ya know where we are!"

"Yes any time," Madeline beamed as she stepped closer to pat Michael's face affectionately before she moved towards Fiona to draw her into a tight embrace.

"Thank you Madeline," Fiona told her when Madeline slowly drew away. "Maybe we'll take you up on that."

"Make sure you do honey," she told her as she stepped away and turned towards Sam. "Come on Sam, you can take me home."

Sam sighed heavily when Madeline opened the front door and stepped outside, before he lightly slapped his friends shoulder. "Oh goody!"

"I heard that Sam," Madeline called. "Now hurry up and get out here…"

"Yeah yeah," he muttered, "hold ya horses, I'm comin'."

"Thanks Sam," Michael nodded when Fiona came to stand beside him again to watch their friend walk out of the door.

As soon as they were alone, Fiona turned towards the man she loved and skimmed her hands up and over his arms to mould herself against his body. Kissing the underside of his chin she laid her head against his chest and pulled him closer before she sighed happily.

"I think you need to take off your shirt," she whispered as she lifted her head to smile up at him.

Michael looked down at her questioningly and tried to form some kind of coherent reply but clamped his mouth closed when she slipped her arms up to encircle them around the back of his neck.

"I may have left…something on your shirt," she whispered, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"Wha—"

"Shhh…" moving her fingers to the front of his shirt she kept her eyes linked with his as she slipped each button through its corresponding opening one by one until it hung loosely at his sides. Reaching forward she pressed her lips against his bare torso as she slowly pushed the material down his arms and away from his body, catching it before it fell to the floor.

"Next time," she told him with a smouldering smile as she held up the shirt to show him what Sam had seen. "Don't wear white…"

000

The next morning Michael took over the breakfast routine while Fiona pondered on what to wear. The day before when they had taken Caitlin to school she had felt incredibly self conscious, but Michael had soon shown her that she had nothing to worry about. Opening the wardrobe doors she skimmed her fingers across the various garments until she found the short summer dress she'd been looking for and pulled it from the clothes hanger.

Stepping back she held the outfit up and let her eyes linger over the blue material before she pushed her robe from her body to slip into the dress. It had been a while since she'd felt confident enough to wear this, but she did actually feel pretty good as she smoothed the fabric over her torso. Stepping back she looked at her reflection in the full length mirror and stood to the side to see if her stomach stuck out too far.

Her stomach hadn't exactly flattened as quickly as she would have liked, not like when she'd had Caitlin. She guessed that with all of the stress after her birth and the constant moving had probably helped her to lose so much weight. She'd hardly eaten anything when she'd left Caitlin in Ireland and that was mostly because depression had set in, her emptiness eating away at her whole existence.

She was so lost in her memories that she didn't hear her daughter hovering in the doorway until she stepped inside and gasped in a breath.

"Mammy…ya look really pretty."

Fiona turned towards her daughter and melted into a smile. Reaching out a hand to her daughter, she opened her arms and waited for Caitlin to run towards her before she pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Thank you baby," she beamed when she pulled back slightly to place a soft kiss onto Caitlin's cheek. "So do you."

"Can ya make me hair like yers?" Caitlin asked when she released her mother to clamber onto the bed and sit down.

"Like mine?" Fiona asked in confusion when she turned back to look at the little girl. "You want your hair down today?"

"Yep."

Moving away from the mirror Fiona moved towards Caitlin and ran her fingers over her dark hair to catch the long strands between her fingers.

"Your hairs getting really long," she smiled. "Don't you think you'll be a little too hot having it down?"

"Do ya get real hot?" Caitlin asked as she leaned into her mother's side. "Aunt Marie never le' me have me hair long."

Hearing Marie's name sent a wave of resentment through Fiona's body but she pushed it away just as quickly. Sitting on the bed behind Caitlin she encircled her in her arms and pulled her against her chest. She didn't know how deep Marie's poisonous words had burrowed into the little girl she held against her but she was determined to banish every single one.

Pressing a kiss to the side of Caitlin's head she tugged her tighter before she released her hold to slide off of the bed. Holding out her hand she smiled down at her daughter and waited for her to climb off of the mattress and join her.

"Come on," she smiled. "Let's brush your hair. You can wear it down today."

When they both came into the kitchen Michael looked up to greet them and did a double take. With her hair down Caitlin was the image of her mother and he moved forward to envelope the little girl in a tight embrace.

"Do ya like me hair?" she asked as she smiled at him. "I'm like mammy."

"You look beautiful honey," he told her as he planted a kiss onto her cheek. "Just like your mom."

Caitlin gasped in a breath and grinned widely before she threw her arms around her father and held him tight.

"Baby you need to brush your teeth before we go," Fiona told her when she lifted Meaghan into her car seat and strapped her in.

"Okay," Caitlin nodded before she squeezed her father into a tighter hug. When he placed her back onto the floor she ran off towards the bathroom leaving her parents to look behind her.

When she was out of sight Michael turned to watch Fiona when she lovingly covered Meaghan's feet in some tiny padded shoes. He couldn't even describe how much he loved her, what he felt went far beyond any words. When she lifted her head to look at him he found himself lost in the intensity of her gaze.

"Did you put the stroller in the car?" she asked softly when she blushed under the intensity of his gaze.

"It's still in the trunk," he nodded as he watched her place Meaghan's car seat onto the floor. "You look beautiful, Fi."

Her eyes snapped up to his and she got to her feet to take his offered hand. Leaning into him she looked up into his eyes and placed a kiss onto his lips before she drew away again to look up into his eyes.

"Thank you," she told him softly. Moving a hand to his chest she fiddled with the buttons on his shirt and fought the urge to kiss him again. "I—"

Caitlin's sudden scream caused the pair of them to pull apart and reach for the guns they'd hidden around the house. Michael sped off towards the bathroom with his gun already drawn while Fiona held hers with both hands, standing beside Meaghan's car seat she pointing the gun towards the doors and windows.

"MICHAEL…" she yelled when she could hear Caitlin's soft whimpers, not daring to take her eyes away from the door.

"It's okay…it's gone," Michael came back into the room carrying Caitlin against him, smiling with relief. Seeing his smile Fiona quickly lowered her weapon and turned around to place it onto one of the higher shelves next to her snowglobes.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly when she moved towards them and placed a hand onto Caitlin's back. "Baby?"

The little girl sniffed and turned around to face her. Keeping her tight hold on her father Caitlin swallowed hard and shook her head.

"it wa' big mammy," she hiccupped. "I don' like tham."

"Don't like what baby?"

"It was a spider," Michael told her as he kissed Caitlin's cheek. Turning his lips against her ear he whispered reassuringly that the spider had gone.

"It's okay baby," Fiona soothed as she ran her fingers over her hair. "Daddy took care of it, it won't be back."

"Ya promise?"

Michael lowered his daughter to the floor and nodded when she turned to take Fiona's hand in hers. "Ya won' let it get me?"

Shaking her head, Fiona knelt down in front of her little girl and smoothed her fingers across her cheek, wiping away the wetness that glistened there. "It won't hurt you baby, sometimes they just come inside."

"Aunt Marie said she wa' goin' ta put spiders in me bed if I wa' bad," shaking her head from side to side Caitlin breathed rapidly and held onto Fiona's hand. "I didn' think we had spiders here."

Reaching forward Fiona pulled Caitlin into her arms and held on tight. Caitlin's fear had sparked off her own and she didn't know if she could let her out of her sight today. Caitlin's warmth seeped into her and she fought with every ounce of strength she had to not give into the fears that were in danger of overtaking her. Pulling back slightly she smoothed her hand over Caitlin's cheek and smiled reassuringly.

"You never have to worry about anything baby," she told her softly as she stood to her feet. "While you're at school daddy and Uncle Sam will go through the whole room for you, okay."

"Even tha toy box?"

"Even the toy box," Michael told her when he stepped around so that she could see him.

"And while your daddy is doing that I'll take care of something else," Fiona told her, trying to keep her voice as calm as she could. . Her mind swam with different scenarios, each one predicting Marie's downfall. She was going to end this one way or another, even if she had to find a way to get to Ireland and take care of the problem herself.

Michael eyed Fiona carefully, knowing that look of fury in her eyes and he also knew that she didn't think rationally when she was like this. When Caitlin turned to smile up at him he reached for her hand, relieved to see the sparkle back in her eyes.

Fiona forced the anger to the back of her mind and she focussed on her family around her. Reaching down to pick up Meaghan's car seat she smiled down at Caitlin who was already back to her usual self.

"Okay, are we ready to go?" she asked cheerily, her voice causing Michael to raise an eyebrow when she cast him a sweet smile.

"Yep," Caitlin told her. "Can I push tha buggy when we get ta school?"

Michael's eyes creased in confusion but before he could ask what Caitlin was talking about Fiona turned to her and smiled.

"It's called a stroller here, baby."

Caitlin looked up at her mother and stopped in her tracks. Shaking her head she sighed heavily and reached for her father's hand and pulled him towards the door.

"Ya talk really funny here daddy," she told him as she beamed him a smile.

"_Me?"_ he squeaked indignantly, glancing back at Fiona when his daughter grabbed hold of his hand.

Caitlin giggled again and pulled him out of the door and towards Fiona's car before he even had time to think. Turning behind her, Fiona pulled the door closed and clicked the lock shut before she followed them. When she got to the car she placed the car seat inside before she fixed it in place. Reaching inside she stroked her finger over Meaghan's brow before she leant inside to kiss her before she moved backwards and smiled to herself. Just let those woman tattle to each other today…she was in just the right kind of mood to kick their asses…

000

The school yard was crowded with parents when they arrived. Michael pushed Meaghan's stroller while Caitlin held onto Fiona's hand, chattering excitedly about the project she was involved with at school. As soon as they walked through the gates and into the yard Fiona could already feel the eyes on her.

"Did you arrange the new password for Caitlin?" Fiona asked him when he held Caitlin against his side. Placing his hand on the top of Caitlin's head he nodded absently before he turned back towards Fiona and smiled. Caitlin held onto her mother's hand and leaned her head back to peer up at her father who grinned down at her.

Breathing out a sigh of relief Fiona allowed her eyes to linger over the school building and thought back to how they had come up with the password that enabled only them to collect their daughter from school. It was just another precaution, even though Caitlin's teacher and the principle encouraged every parent to adopt the same security measure.

They had both decided on 'Almara', something that no one else would ever know. Almara was the name of the little bed and breakfast in Dublin where that had first made love. No one knew about it, only the two of them and it seemed the perfect passwords to keep their daughter safe. Fiona smiled at the memory and felt herself grow warm when she remembered how passionate their nights had been.

Caitlin spotted her friend and let go of her mother's hand to speed off into the mass of children that were running back and forth. Turning back to Michael, Fiona offered him a bright smile when he stopped the stroller and moved the sun canopy aside so that he could lean in to pull Meaghan's sun hat further forward.

"She's fine Michael," she told him with a smile. "You fuss worse than your mother!"

Standing back up Michael grinned at her when he pushed the sun canopy back over Meaghan's tiny form before he slipped an arm across her shoulders. Turning his face towards her he leaned in and pressed a kiss against her ear, his eyes immediately spotting the group of women from the day before.

He kissed her temple and was in the process of telling her that she was the most beautiful woman in the school yard when something else caught his eye. Pulling away from her he cast a suspicious look at a lone figure in the distance that seemed to be lurking behind one of the tree's and sinking back out of sight just as quickly.

"Stay with the girls," he told her quietly as he moved away from her. Reaching inside Fiona's bag he pulled out her SIG that she always kept with her and tucked it into the back of his jeans.

Fiona's eyes followed him as he left the school and she scanned the line of trees to see what had got him so worked up. Michael wouldn't have worried for nothing and that in itself caused her senses to ignite.

Swallowing hard, panic soared through her when she looked towards the screeching children to try and spot her daughter. Moving slightly she could feel her heart crashing inside her chest when she couldn't see Caitlin anywhere. Turning sharply she looked around her to see if she could spot Michael but she had lost sight of him too.

Taking the break off of the stroller she started to move further along the school yard, her eyes searching for her daughter and becoming more panicked by every second that passed.

"MAMMY!"

Turning sharply Fiona's eyes widened when she saw her little girl running towards her with another child. Relief swamped Fiona's heart and she suddenly felt her whole body grow weak when her heartbeat slowly returned back to normal. Reaching out her hand she clasped hold of Caitlin and pulled her towards her.

"Stay with mommy for a minute," she told her softly as she tried to keep the tremor from her voice. When Caitlin came to stand beside her she clutched her into her side and held on tightly as she looked around her to try and find Michael.

"Mammy…I need ta go wit' Becka."

"When daddy gets back," Fiona told her distractedly as she searched for her missing boyfriend. Clasping Caitlin's hand tighter she pulled her into her side and gasped in a sharp breath when she finally spotted Michael in the distance, pushing the man she'd spotted to the ground.

"Mammy…" Caitlin sighed in frustration. "I'm missin' tha game…"

"Caitlin Claire McBride," Fiona's voice lowered as she looked down at her daughter with eyes that she knew Caitlin understood. "I'm asking you to stay right here for a few more minutes until your father comes back."

Caitlin stopped moving and looked up towards her mother knowing that whenever she used her full name she meant business. Becka, the little girl who had been running around with her moved to stand by her side and looked up at Fiona questioningly.

"Are you Caitlin's mommy?" she asked curiously when she watched the woman holding onto her friend look down at her.

Glancing down at the child Fiona offered her a tight smile and nodded her head before she shifted her gaze back to the distant trees but she couldn't see Michael anywhere. Tearing her eyes away she looked back down at her daughter and tightened her hold on her hand before she took a deep breath and prepared herself to offer the two little girls some sort of explanation as to why she was keeping Caitlin by her side.

000

Michael advanced on the unsuspecting man who was peering out from behind the trees, pulling the gun out of the waistband of his jeans. Moving closer he stepped behind him and lunged forward, dragging the yelping man backwards until he slammed him to the ground before he held the gun over his chest.

"_Who_ the hell are you?" he growled as he moved the gun closer and dug it into his chest. "What are you doing spying on children?"

"No man…" the mystery man whimpered holding the palms of his hands upwards. "I swear it's not what you think."

Pushing the barrel of the gun further into his chest, Michael jabbed one knee onto the prone man's body and grabbed him around the throat.

"My _daughter_ goes to that school," Michael hissed as he tightened his fingers. "_WHO_ sent you?"

"No…No one…" he coughed. "No one sent me…I was…looking for my…son."

"Don't LIE to me," Michael growled angrily when he moved the gun upwards until it was rested against the man's forehead.

"I swear…I'm sorry…" breaking out into snivelling tears he widened his eyes pleadingly. "My son, Toby…my wife won't let me see him…you have to believe me…please…"

Michael glared down at the man on the ground and slowly withdrew the weapon before he moved backwards, dragging the man onto his feet. Turning him around abruptly he shoved him in the back, pushing him through the trees and towards the fence barrier so that he could view the scattered parents.

"Okay, which one's your ex wife?" Michael asked him emotionlessly as he shoved him closer to the fence.

Before he could reply a young boy ran to the side of the enclosure, his bright eyes widening in surprise. Reaching through the gap in the metal bars he held his arms through and called his father's name until the man surged forwards and knelt down on the other side.

"Dad," the little boy cried, grabbing hold of his hands through the bars. "Daddy…"

"_TOBY…_"

Their reunion came to an abrupt end when Toby's mother came to the railing and grabbed her son to abruptly pull him back. Glaring down at the little boy she pushed him back into the throng of children before she turned to fix Toby's father with an icy stare.

"What are you doing here Robert?" she growled. "You know you're not supposed to be anywhere near here. I'll have you arrested—"

"Crissy, no—"

"Stay the hell away from me," she hissed, taking a step away before she turned around and moved back towards the small group of mother's who welcomed her back into their circle.

Robert dropped his head and swallowed the lump in his throat. Remembering the man behind him he turned back towards him and shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry man…I…"

Tucking the gun back into his jeans Michael un-tucked his polo shirt to hide the bulge of the gun and held his hands up, nodding in apology. "Maybe you should do what she says."

"Yeah," Robert nodded solemnly as he took one last glance back. "One time…I cheated one time."

Closing his eyes Robert turned towards the man before him and expected to see some sympathy in his gaze but instead all he saw was utter contempt.

"I'm not getting involved in your marriage problems," Michael told him as he stepped back and turned away as he started the walk back into the thick of the trees.

"But come on, you know what it's like. You've been tempted right?" Robert asked as he followed, nodding towards the throng of mothers until he saw Fiona who kept looking in their general direction. "Like her, she's a looker..."

Michael's eyes narrowed and for a moment he considered pulling his gun back out and shooting this man where he stood but instead he folded his arms across his chest.

Robert didn't even notice Michael's stance all he was focused on was Fiona looking across at him. "I bet her old man doesn't appreciate her…the way she's watching, I bet she—"

Within seconds Michael's fist connected with Roberts face, sending his arms flailing as he landed on the ground.

"No, I've never been tempted," Michael told him lowly. "But you…_you_ deserve everything you get. I feel sorry for your wife."

Robert's mouth hung open when Michael turned to walk away, his eyes following him all the way back to the school yard until he came to stand beside the woman he'd been leering at and suddenly everything made perfect sense. Smacking himself on the head he stood back up and dusted himself down. He took one last look behind him to see if he could see his son before he turned away and took his bruised ego away with him.

"What was all that about?" Fiona asked when she released Caitlin so that she could run around with her friends.

Michael shook his head and reached down to the stroller, covering her hand that was curled around the handle bar. Wordlessly he leaned across to kiss her temple, reminding himself to make sure she knew just how much he adored her. Glancing back behind him he scanned the trees that littered the land around the school but he couldn't see Robert anywhere now.

Caitlin's voice pulled his attention back to her and he turned in time catch her when she barraged into his legs to wrap her arms around him. Gazing up at him adoringly she waited for him to drop down onto one knee before she hugged him tight.

"See ya later," she told him in a whisper when she kissed him before she pulled away and hugged her mother's legs. Pulling back she moved around so that she could lean in and kiss Meaghan's forehead quickly, nuzzling her soft skin until her friend called out to her impatiently.

Kissing her baby sister one last time she took a step backwards and waved to her parents before running off to join the group of little girls who all squealed loudly when she joined them.

Michael watched Caitlin mingle with her friends and couldn't help but smile. She was a confident, happy little girl, one who had managed to capture everyone's heart. She was his little girl and he made a silent promise to whoever was listening that if it was the last thing he ever did, he would protect her, Meaghan and Fiona until the day he died.

Fiona smiled up at him when he looked down at her with so much love in his gaze. This man was her best friend as well as the other half of her. He knew her inside out and she knew there would never be anyone else for her in this life. Leaning into his side she drank in his warmth when his arm came to rest over her shoulders as they both watched their eldest daughter living the life that they'd both been denied.

When the teaching staff came out to call all of the children inside, Caitlin turned back and waved happily to her parents, her smile casting every ounce of worry away.

"Come on," Michael told her with a smile when Caitlin had disappeared inside. "Let's go home."

Nodding silently, Fiona moved aside when he took control of the stroller and began to push it out of the school yard. She walked with him, looping her arm through his as they made their way back towards the car and home.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews, PM's and favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate every one of you.**

**Special thanks to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for being such wonderful friends, and also for reading through parts of this for me. Thanks to LeeLee who helped me with the American school system and to all of my friends on Twitter for being such a great support. I love you all**

7

The rest of the week passed without any incident and Fiona had started to settle back into some kind of normality. Caitlin was at school and the house had fallen into a blissful calm leaving time for her mind to wander. The phone call with her mother still stayed in her thoughts but she had pushed it further away until she could decide how to deal with her warring emotions.

Family life was good. She was happier than she had ever been in her life and she knew having Michael by her side was a big part of it. The life they used to lead seemed so far away now but she also knew that he still had a lot of unanswered questions that still hadn't been resolved, and that's what worried her most of all. Michael was and always would be a spy, despite his burn notice. She knew that this contentment wouldn't last forever and there would come a time when he would take up his search again.

Sighing heavily she looked down at the baby in her arms and reached down to stroke her soft hair. Part of her was still a little afraid that this life she had built with Michael would all come crashing down around her but she tried not to dwell on that feeling. He was here with her, that was all that mattered and whatever happened in the future she knew he would never leave his family behind.

As if on cue, the man in question came into the room clad in a white towel and grinned across at her. He still had water droplets over her shoulders from the shower and she found her gaze focused on his back. She didn't think she would ever get used to the way her body reacted when she saw him, and by the look in his eyes she could tell that he felt it too. Tearing her eyes away from him she gazed back down at Meaghan and shifted forward to stand up with her.

"I'm going to put her down."

Michael nodded and watched her as she moved and turned to pull a cup of yoghurt out of the fridge to try and bring his body under control. He and Fiona had always been passionate but since they had been living together his feelings for her had escalated. Turning to grab a spoon from the drawer he was in the process of pulling off the lid when Fiona's arms embraced him from behind causing him to draw in a sharp breath.

"You must be losing your touch," she whispered as she pressed a kiss in between his shoulder blades, delighting in the tiny shiver that her touch created.

Placing his yoghurt cup back onto the kitchen counter, Michael turned around in her arms and tugged her closer against him. His heart hammered inside his chest as his fingers traced the length of her back, up towards her shoulder blades and back down again, before burying his hands into the waistband of her jeans.

Their eyes met and held, love and desire combining together to leave both of them gravitating towards each other. Lowering his head, Michael pressed his lips to hers, keeping his touch light until her soft sigh ignited something inside him.

Fiona groaned as he tugged her closer allowing him to deepen their kiss as her hands journeyed up towards his hair, entangling her fingers into his soft strands. His kisses were intoxicating and for a long moment she sank in to his body and returned his kiss with a passionate one of her own.

Suddenly Michael pulled his mouth from hers, his breathing heavy with passion as he gasped her name. He could never understand this power she had always had over him, and it sometimes scared him to be this consumed with another human being.

"Shh," she whispered, moving her lips to his ear to place slow burning kisses over his lobes, granting him her full attention before moving to the skin of his neck to trace her lips over every inch of his heated flesh.

Michael's whole body was on high alert as she continued her sweet torture, driving his senses through the roof as he fought to control his breathing. His body cried out for her to grant him the release he needed as he responded to her touch in every possible way. His fingers travelled up towards her shoulders, enticing sighs of approval as her lips traced the line of his chin before coming back up to capture his mouth.

He pushed her closer towards the cabinet, holding her against it as his lips left hers to begin their journey down her throat.

"Michael," she moaned, flexing her fingers over his shoulders, kneading his flesh as her breath came out is shallow gasps. She threw her head back, gasping for air as she gave him better access to her neck, her soft groans only encouraging him to move lower. One of his hands left her back to reach beneath the edge of her shirt to trace the skin on her stomach.

Fiona shivered with the contact, her whole body clutching him to her unwilling to let him go for just one second. She gasped when Michael's fingers began tracing soft circles over her stomach while he continued to caress her skin with his lips, granting her every ounce of love he possessed.

Slowly his mouth left hers and he brought his head up so he could meet her gaze.

"As much as I want this," he breathed, lowering his forehead so it was against hers. "We shouldn't be—"

"I know," she spoke, her voice shuddering through the passion that enveloped her entire body. "It's the middle of the day."

"Yeah," he sighed, bringing his fingers from beneath her shirt to trace up her body until he was holding her close to him again, bringing her into a tight embrace as he kissed her neck. "And Sam could turn up at any minute…"

"Is the door locked?" she asked into his shoulder as she peppered soft kisses over his skin, causing him to tilt his head to give her better access to his throat

"Yes," he gasped, "but—"

Fiona pulled him closer to her, relishing the feel of his arms around her body as he wrapped her in his protective warmth. She moved her lips against his chest to place a tiny kiss on the exposed skin before pulling away from him to take a hold of his hand.

"You think too much," she told him with a smile as she took a step backwards and tugged him along with her, leading him out of the kitchen and towards their room…

000

They were lying together in a post coital haze when Michael's cell phone started to ring from inside the family room. His hand stilled on her back, his fingertips dancing over her flushed skin. Taking a breath he pulled her tighter against him and nuzzled his lips into her hair before he reluctantly released her and shuffled across the mattress to pull himself up to sit up on the edge of the bed.

"It's probably Sam," she told him with a sigh as she rolled onto her side to trace her fingertips along the ridges of his spine. "I swear he must have a built in radar!"

Michael reached onto the floor to grab the towel that he'd been wearing earlier before turning his head to smile down at her. Standing up he turned to face her and wrapped the towel around his lower body, his eyes sparking when his gaze met hers.

She was laying on her side looking every part the temptress she had always been and not for the first time he couldn't believe how lucky he was to have her here. He was so thankful that she hadn't listened to his reasoning, knowing better than he did that everything he thought he'd wanted wasn't what he'd really wanted at all. He'd needed her a long time before he'd realised it, but she had always been the one who knew him better than he knew himself.

"You go and talk to Sam," she told him lazily when she sank back down into the pillows and cast him a smile before she stretched her arms above her head. "I'll get dressed before Meaghan wakes up."

"Okay," he nodded, his lips merging into a slow smile as he took in the sight of her. Swallowing hard he turned away from her naked form and made his way out of the bedroom before he could crawl back into bed beside her.

When he walked into the family room he grabbed the phone from the table and looked down at the caller display and silently congratulated Fiona for her right assumption before he hurriedly answered.

"Sam?"

"Hey brother…what took ya so long…are ya gonna to let me in? It's hotter than hell out here."

"What?" Michael's eyes shot to the door before he looked back towards the bedroom. "Uh…yeah…hang on."

Turning the phone off again he tossed it onto the table before he called Fiona's name, and yelled loudly that Sam was at the door. He contemplated leaving his friend standing on the other side while he went to pull some pants on, but when Sam banged on the door impatiently he opened it before the noise woke Meaghan.

"Jeeze Mikey," Sam groaned when he breezed inside, not even stopping to look at his friend. "I thought you were gonna leave me standin' out there all day!"

Michael looked on incredulously when his friend didn't even stop for breath before he marched right up to the fridge to pull a bottle of beer out. Shaking his head, Michael chuckled to himself when he pushed the front door closed again.

"I'm…uh…" he waved his hand towards the end of the room and started to move towards the bedroom when he heard Sam's intake of breath.

Within seconds Sam seemed to suddenly realise that Michael hadn't followed him into the kitchen and he slowly registered that his friend wasn't even dressed. He opened his mouth to make some kind of comment when Fiona strolled into the room carrying Meaghan in her arms.

Without even blinking she beamed a smile towards Michael when he moved passed her before she walked right up to Sam to hand over his baby niece, placing her in his arms.

"Morning Sam," she grinned when she plucked the half drank bottle of beer from his fingers.

Sam's face flushed crimson when realisation slowly dawned and he coughed uncomfortably before he turned his attention onto the baby in his arms.

"Well hello there li'l darlin'," he cooed, his soft voice earning him a smile. "There it is…there's that smile…"

"You're over early," Fiona mused when she moved into the kitchen to click the kettle on. "Weren't you going to your girlfriend's beach house today?"

Sam's eyes shot up and he shook his head emphatically, "Uh…no."

"No?" she asked in surprise. "Oh Sam, what did you do this time?"

"Me?" he squeaked as he rocked Meaghan from side to side. "I didn't do anything…well…at least not anything worth getting all worked up over."

"So you did do something!" Her smile brightened and she shook her head in amusement when she poured some hot water into her favourite cup. "Come on, out with it!"

"What?" he sputtered. "Why do women always automatically assume it's the guys fault?"

Fiona moved towards him and patted his shoulder sympathetically before she broke out into wide grin. "Because it usually is…"

Sam's mouth dropped open but he recovered quickly when he snapped right back. "Hey sister, I didn't have anything to do with it this time. This was all about her gettin' bent outta shape over her car."

"Her car?" Fiona asked in confusion. "She doesn't have a car."

"No, I know that," he snapped. "Not since your boyfriend drove it off of a parking garage!"

Michael came back into the room to catch the tail end of the conversation and looked towards his girlfriend who was just bringing her tea from the kitchen. His eyes caught hers and the smile they shared caused Sam to clear his throat uncomfortably again.

"So what's this about a car?" Michael asked when he moved towards Sam to retrieve his baby girl and held her against his shoulder before he sat down. "You're not talking about the Cadillac?"

"The one and only," Sam told him with a heavy sigh. "Every time we have a fight she brings it up again…I honestly don't know what else to say to her, she's driving me nuts!"

"Have you taken her to dinner?" Fiona asked him when she placed her cup onto the table and shook the bottle of milk in Meaghan's bottle before she came to perch on the arm of the chair next to Michael. Handing him the bottle she smiled down at the baby in his arms before she turned her attention back to Sam again.

"Of course I've taken her out to dinner," he snapped. "I've brought her flowers and heart shaped candy…what else is there?"

"What else?" Fiona asked incredulously as she shook her head. "_Sam, Sam, Sam_…"

"And I suppose you have a better idea," his sighed as he grabbed his beer bottle and lifted it to his lips.

"I do actually," she told him with a wide smile. "Do you want to hear it?"

Sam shot her a sarcastic look before he glanced across at Michael who shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he was staying out of it. Sighing heavily Sam tilted the beer bottle and drained the rest of the bitter liquid, swallowing it down with one gulp. When he placed the empty bottle back onto the table he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked at her expectantly.

"Be honest with her for once," she told him as she looked down at the man beside her and threaded her fingers through his hair. "It's always worked for us."

Sam narrowed his eyes and watched his two friends who had seemed to grow closer with every passing day. The man Michael once was barely existed anymore, and even though part of him missed his old friend, just seeing him so contented pushed all of those feelings away.

"So you think I should march right up to her and tell her why Mikey wrecked her car?" he asked, his mind already formulating a plan. "That could work."

"You mean to tell me that it's been over a year since you crashed the car and she still doesn't know why?" Fiona asked in disbelief, shaking her head. "And she still wants to know you?"

"Well of course she does," Sam grinned, waving his hands in front of his own body. "Who wouldn't?"

"Oh I can think of a lot of people," Fiona scoffed.

"Oh and you think you're a catch?" he snapped back, his eyes linking with hers daring her to respond.

"Oh but Sam," she gushed, her eyes sparkling with delight when she saw him shift uncomfortably. "I've already been caught!"

"Yeah?" he huffed, bouncing his words right back at her. "Well you—"

"_Guys_…" Michael groaned when he sat Meaghan forward to rub her back. "Can we _not_ do this again?"

"Blame her," Sam shrugged, pointing a finger at Fiona when she leant in closer to Michael. "She started it."

"What?" sitting back up again, Fiona bristled and glared at the man before her with annoyance. "I _did_ not!"

When Meaghan released a loud belch the three adults in the room all turned their attention to her and bust into simultaneous laughter.

"Well we all know who she takes after," Fiona grinned, casting a beaming smile in Sam's direction. "Have you been teaching our daughter bad habits again Sam?"

Shaking his head incredulously, Sam moved towards Michael and reclaimed the baby to bring her up into his arms. The little girl looked up at him with bright wide eyes before she offered him a toothless grin, followed by a squeal of delight when he pulled a face at her.

"You missy are gonna be breakin' hearts all over Miami," he told her, the tone in his voice earning him another smile. "Yep with a smile just like that!"

Fiona's phone suddenly broke into a humming ring, breaking the spell of laughter in the room. Getting up from the chair she moved towards it and smiled over at Michael and Sam when they both started trying to see who could make Meaghan laugh the loudest.

Holding the phone to her ear she spoke into it with a cheery voice, but the smile soon slipped from her lips when she listened intently to her brother's worried voice.

"What do you mean she's gone?" she hissed, her voice rising. "Patrick, how—"

"_I don' know wha' ta tell ya Fiona. I ha' a job at tha old McGinnes place an' I locked tha door behind me. I go' back an' she wa' gone."_

"How long ago?" she snapped, already feeling her heart thumping inside chest. "HOW LONG PATRICK?"

Michael's eyes lifted to hers when he heard the waver in her voice. Leaving Sam's side he moved over towards the woman he loved and placed a hand on her shoulder, silently asking what was wrong.

"_Two days…an' I know wha' yer goin' ta—"_

"TWO DAYS?" shaking her head from side to side, Fiona's eyes flared with worry and she caught Michael's hand in hers. "You waited two days before you called? You know she's obsessed with Caitlin!"

"_I thought I coul' find har, bu' she's jus' disappeared."_

"If she comes here—"

"_I know, an' I swear I'll be thare as soon as I ca' an' I'll deal wit' har…"_

"Wha' like ya di' tha last time ya wa' here?" she spat angrily, her native accent finding its way through her words. "I tell ya now Patrick Glenanne, I won' be sendin' ya misses back ta ya in one piece this time, yer'll be findin' bits a har all over Ireland."

"_Fiona—"_

"Save it Patrick," she growled as she tried to control her breathing. Her mind was in total turmoil with every possible scenario raging around inside her mind. Looking around the room for her bag she couldn't seem to fight the first instinct to drive to Caitlin's school and pull her out of it.

Michael knew the look in her eyes and moved forward to gently ease the phone from her hand to place it against his ear. Reaching out for her with his free hand he held on to her, pulling her tighter as he spoke into the phone.

"I need to know exactly how long Marie has been gone," he spoke calmly, keeping his mind focused. He listened intently to Patrick recounting his movements of that day and nodded instead of speaking. Without uttering a goodbye he pressed the phone off and looked down at the blank screen before he threw it onto the table and turned Fiona around to face him.

"Michael—"

"I know," he nodded, lifting his hand to her face, cradling her cheek in his palm. "We'll call the school and—"

"NO," pulling away from him Fiona glared up at him, her voice shaking as she spotted her bag and started to move towards it. "Patrick said two days…that's enough time for her to contact someone here."

"Fi…listen to me, you need to calm down and think."

"Think?" she hissed angrily. "Our daughter is out there with some psycho bitch out to find her and you want me to calm down?"

"No, I want you to think," he told her firmly when he reached out to take a hold of her hands. "I want to bring her home too, but we have to think about this…if we go charging into her school with no good reason—"

"No good reason?" she asked, her voice slicing through his when she pulled on his hand. "I want my baby home."

Swallowing hard, Michael's breath caught in his throat when he heard her voice catch on a sob and that was enough for him to reach for his phone. Looking towards Sam he didn't even have to ask about Meaghan before Sam nodded automatically.

"Go, bring Caitlin home. I'll stay here with the baby."

"Thanks Sam," Michael nodded, clasping Fiona's hand in his as they rushed towards the door.

000

The school was in silence when they arrived, and the empty school yard caused Fiona's heart rate to increase rapidly when she thought of her sister in law watching from the shadows. Looking around her she focused on the surrounding trees and tried to spot any kind of movement as she walked. There were no obvious signs and the only sound around them was the wind rustling through the trees.

Michael caught hold of her hand and squeezed her fingers tightly in his and pulled her along with him. He knew she was terrified of losing Caitlin; he was too…but he was just trying to keep a level head. Glancing behind him he too focused his gaze onto the surrounding trees and searched for anything that didn't belong. Since confronting the absentee father near the school a few days ago he'd become extra vigilant, treating every person he came into contact with as a potential threat.

"Do you think she's in Miami?" Fiona asked worriedly when she gripped hold of his hand. "I can't—"

"I know," he told her quietly, the worry in his voice causing her to look up at him. "If she's here we'll deal with her once and for all."

"I want her gone Michael," she told him firmly. "If that means killing her to protect our child I'll do it."

"I know you will Fi," he nodded, pushing the visitor buzzer at the main doors to Caitlin's school. Inclining his head to the side he met her eyes and nodded in agreement before he turned to pull open the connecting door. "And I'll help you."

Fiona's breath caught in her throat and she squeezed his hand when he cast her a reassuring smile. Turning away from her he pressed the buttons on the computer pad, spelling out the password only he and Fiona knew and waited for the door to slide open.

When they both walked inside, Fiona released his hand and walked towards the reception area, looking at the woman behind the desk expectantly.

"We've come to collect our daughter, Caitlin McBride," she told her, impatience finding its way into her words.

"And you are?"

"Fiona McBride," she answered automatically, the name rolling off of her tongue so naturally as she gestured towards the man standing beside her. "And this is my husband, Michael McBride."

"Caitlin's father," he provided, reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet and the driving licence Sam had arranged for him. Handing it across the desk, the woman took it from him and looked down at it, scrutinising every inch of it before she nodded and handed it back to him. Turning to Fiona she watched her expectantly, waiting for her to pass her identification without actually asking.

"Honey," Michael nudged her, trying everything he could to break her out of the stony glare she was casting towards the receptionist. "She's just doing her job."

"Fine," she groused, breaking eye contact with the woman who was returning her glare and delved into her bag to pull her own driving licence out of her wallet before she thrust it towards the woman.

The receptionist looked down at the card in her hand before she nodded and handed it back to her. Smiling for the first time she pushed a clip board towards them and held out a pen.

"If you could both just sign next to Caitlin's name I'll inform Principle Webber that you're here."

Nodding curtly, Fiona reached for the pen and signed her name on the paper before she handed the pen to the man beside her and stepped aside for him to repeat the process. When he handed the pen back to the receptionist he flashed her a bright smile, causing the young woman's face to flush crimson.

Averting her eyes she pushed the clip board to the side of her and picked up the phone, pressing a button she placed it against her ear and muttered a few words into the reciever before placing the handset back in its cradle and turned to face them.

"Principle Webber will be with you in a few moments."

"Thank you," Michael nodded as he turned to the woman beside him and watched her eyes transform when she offered him a smile.

Stepping closer Fiona wrapped her arm loosely around his and threaded their fingers together. Her heart was hammering inside her chest and she tried not to think of Marie or Ireland, but when the principle arrived to greet them, her face ashen, every single fear she had ever experienced merged into one.

"Mr and Mrs McBride," Principle Webber's voice rose slightly when she moved towards them. "I understand you're here for Caitlin."

"Yes, we're here to take her home," Fiona told her quickly, her eyes looking behind her to see if she could see the little girl.

"We operate a policy—"

"Principle Webber," Michael's voice cut through hers when he felt Fiona stiffen beside him. "Is there somewhere private we can go to discuss our daughter's situation?"

"Mr—"

"I think there are some factors that you need to be made aware of," Michael told her as he glanced back at the Fiona and squeezed her shoulder when she nodded slightly.

The woman standing before them nodded before she stepped aside and held out her hand, indicating for them to follow her into a small room. As soon as they were inside, she closed the door behind them and moved around to sit opposite her desk and waited for both of them to sit down.

"Our daughter isn't safe," Fiona blurted, gasping in a breath when Michael shot her a look and squeezed her hand.

"Honey…"

"No Michael, she needs to know the truth," Fiona told him dramatically, the tone in her voice causing him to blink in confusion.

Before he could even utter a word Fiona had released his hand and was leaning against the desk, reaching for a tissue to dab against her cheeks.

"It's my husband's ex…she's obsessed with him…" turning towards Michael she sniffed and shook her head as she dabbed at her cheek. "Isn't she honey?"

Michael's eyes grew wide and he was caught between disbelief and shock as he played along and slowly nodded his head. Turning his eyes towards the principle he reached for Fiona's hand and held onto it tightly, pretending to comfort her.

"My wife is right, she's obsessed…calls all the time…"

"All the time…" Fiona wailed, reaching for another wad of tissues. Sniffing loudly she looked towards the woman across the desk and squeezed out another tear. "She's threatened to hurt Caitlin…I don't—"

"Say no more," Principle Webber watched on sympathetically and reached forward to pat Fiona's hand. "I can assure you that while your daughter is in our care no one who isn't you or your husband will be able to take her out of the building. If it makes you feel more comfortable we have a group at recess for children like Caitlin, most of them are involved in custody battles with parents so it's as much for their own protection. I could place her in there for the short term until you can rectify your problem."

"Thank you," Michael told her, his relief genuine. "That would put our minds at rest, but just for today we really want to take her home."

"Yes," Fiona nodded looking between Michael and the woman watching her with a sad smile. "Just for today."

Principle Webber stood up from her desk and nodded her head in understanding. "Of course. If you'll follow me back into the foyer I'll ask someone to fetch her for you."

"Thank you," Fiona gushed, getting to her feet and holding onto Michael's hand. "We really appreciate this."

The principle nodded and offered the two of them a bright smile before she left them in the open foyer to disappear for a few moments.

Michael looked down at Fiona in a mixture of relief and exasperation. He knew she didn't want to broadcast the fact that Marie was obsessed with their daughter but he wished she would have clued him in on her plan before she'd spoken.

Within minutes the Principle returned and looked behind her to reveal the little girl whose eyes lit up when she saw her parents.

"Daddy…" she squealed as she ran forward, throwing herself into his open arms, clinging onto him when he lifted her up. "Wha' are ya doin' in me school?"

"We came to bring you home early baby," Fiona told her with a watery smile. "Uncle Sam's at home."

"Is nana thare too?"

"We'll call her on the way home," Michael nodded as he tugged her tighter before placing her back down onto the floor.

Fiona reached for her within seconds, wrapping her arms protectively around the child. Dropping down onto one knee she placed a kiss onto her forehead and pulled her into a tight embrace, sniffing back the moisture in her eyes.

"Mammy…" Caitlin asked worriedly when she moved backwards to look at her mother's eyes. "Why are ya cryin'?"

Blinking rapidly, Fiona swallowed hard against the lump in her throat and shook her head from side to side as she got back to her feet. "I'm not crying baby…I…"

"Allergies," the principle provided, nodding towards Michael when his eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes allergies," Fiona nodded thankfully, smiling across to the principle before she took hold of Caitlin's hand. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Yep," Caitlin beamed. "Can we go ta tha beach?"

"Soon," Fiona nodded as she steered her towards the main door, needing to get her daughter as far away from this school as she could.

Michael nodded his thanks, and moved towards his family. Fiona took hold of Caitlin's hand, both of them engaged in a fit of laughter when Caitlin bounced up and down and he knew they were going to be okay…for now at least…

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews, PM's and favourite story and author adds. I haven't had a lot of time to reply to everyone but please know I really do appreciate all of your comments.**

**Huge thanks to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for reading through parts of this for me. Special thanks to JediSkysinger for providing me with locations and suggestions.**

8

Caitlin burst through the house in search of her Uncle Sam the second she was out of the car. Michael looked across to Fiona and offered her a smile when she shook her head in bewilderment. All Caitlin could talk about on the way home was whether they could go to the beach again before she had to return to school, but Fiona had changed the subject pretty quickly before her daughter could ask any more questions.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked her when she remained in the front seat looking across at the house. "Fi?"

He could see that she was struggling to remain calm and she had every right to be worried. Marie had essentially warned them that she wouldn't give up Caitlin without a fight, despite being dragged back to Ireland because of her obsession. Reaching across the seat he laid his hand over hers and squeezed her fingers, bringing her attention back to him.

"I can't let her go back to that school again," she told him quietly when she finally met his eyes. "If Marie _is_ here—"

"Then we'll deal with her."

Glancing down at their joined hands Fiona swallowed hard before she lifted her eyes to his, unable to keep the worry from glistening in her depths. "I can't lose her again Michael…I love her so much…"

"We both do, Fi," he told her softly as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. "No one is going to take her from us again."

Before Fiona could reply Caitlin ran back out of the house and leant on her father's knee when she grinned up at him.

"Uncle Sam asked if yer ever gettin' outta tha car."

Releasing Fiona's hand, Michael turned to grin at the little girl before he surged forward and grabbed onto her so that he could plant noisy, wet kisses all over her cheek until she escaped his grasp and squealed when he climbed out of the car.

"UNCLE _SAM_…" she yelled in between laughing and running. "DADDY'S GOIN' TA _GE'_ ME…"

In the few seconds it took for Michael to chase after his daughter, Fiona watched on wistfully as she tried to calm her shattered nerves. These feelings rampaging throughout her body were so foreign to her. She had never been afraid of going straight to the problem to deal with it head on, but this time there was far too much at stake. Sitting further back in her seat she looked around at the other houses and surrounding trees, her eyes searching for anything that didn't belong.

Caitlin's voice brought her out of her self imposed surveillance and she turned to smile at the little girl who was standing in the open doorway to the house with her hands on her hips.

"Mammy, wha' are ya doin'?"

Giving herself a mental shake, Fiona climbed out of the car and grinned across at her daughter before she slammed the car door closed and locked it. Holding out her arms she bent to capture Caitlin in a tight embrace, smothering her face in kisses until she begged her to stop.

"Come on baby," she beamed when she stood back up to take hold of the child's hand and led her back towards the house. "Let's go and see what we can make for dinner."

"Yesss," Caitlin gasped as she bounced up and down on the spot. "Can we make pancakes?"

"Pancakes?" Fiona asked with a smile. "For dinner?"

"Yep."

"Well okay," Fiona agreed dubiously. "But I think we're out of blueberries."

Caitlin pulled her into the house before she turned around to beam a smile up towards her mother. "We coul' go ta tha shops an' buy some."

"Well let's see what else we have in the fridge first?" Fiona told her with a smile. "How about strawberries instead?"

"In pancakes?" Caitlin asked in disgust, screwing her face up. "Ewww."

Shaking her head Fiona released her hand and grinned down at her as she closed the front door. Caitlin was definitely the double of her father, he had the same kind of aversions to strawberries. Glancing over towards Michael she knew the moment Caitlin ran towards him to ask him about pancakes that he would fold in seconds, and sure enough when he lifted his head in her direction she knew she would be going out to the store some time that afternoon.

"Hey honey look who's home," Sam cooed when he looked down at the baby in his arms. Moving towards Fiona he held Meaghan out to her and waited until she took the baby from him before he turned around to hold out his hand to Caitlin.

With a squeal she ran towards him, her wide smile beaming when he scooped her up in his arms.

"Now li'l darlin', what's this I hear about pancakes?"

"Do ya want ta stay too Uncle Sam?" Caitlin gasped when she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Ya can have tha strawberries."

"Strawberries huh?" he grinned, moving forward to touch his nose to hers. "You really know how to sweeten the pot don't ya!"

Leaning back slightly Caitlin looked up at him in confusion and shook her head. Opening her mouth to ask what he meant she clamped it closed again when she saw her father moving towards her mother and sister who were seated on the couch.

Sam followed her gaze and knew that he couldn't compete with the family moment that was unfolding before his eyes, so he lowered her to the floor and laid his hand on top of her head.

"You go honey," he told her affectionately when she lifted her head up to smile at him. "I'm goin' to pick up some beers for your dad and me before we have those pancakes!"

Turning back around Caitlin threw her arms around his legs, hugging him close before she released him to run towards the couch where her father lifted her up onto his lap.

"Thanks for staying with Meaghan, Sam," Fiona called to him when he reached the door to pull it open.

He turned back to look back at her feeling suddenly sentimental, and for the life of him he couldn't understand when this change had happened. He knew a lot of it had to do with the family huddled together on the couch but instead of commenting like he usually did he just nodded, throwing her a lopsided smile before he walked out into the sunshine, pulling the door closed behind him.

Fiona's eyes dropped down to the baby in her arms and leant into Michael's side. Nestled against him she sighed happily when one of his arms slipped over her shoulder, tugging her closer towards him and Caitlin.

"When can Meaghan eat pancakes mammy?" Caitlin asked suddenly, her voice causing her baby sister to smile up at her.

"Not for a while baby," Fiona told her as she shifted Meaghan slightly so that she could sit her up in her lap. Holding one of her hands over her tiny chest she held her upright when she supported her back with the other. "But in a few weeks we can try her with some food."

"But just not the food you like honey," Michael told her with a grin when he tapped her nose. "No blueberry pancakes!"

"Blueberries!" Fiona groaned when she looked towards the closed door. "I could have asked Sam to pick some up."

"I can give him a call," Michael started, already looking around for his phone but Fiona stopped him.

"No it's okay, we're out of a few things. I'll go to the store and pick some up."

"Okay," he nodded, a smile merging on his lips when he reached forward to kiss Caitlin's temple. "Caitlin can help me with Meaghan."

"Yesss," she beamed, sitting forward on her father's knee so that she could touch her nose to Meaghan's. "I can read me book ta ya…an' ya can look at tha pictures."

Meaghan smiled and reached out to her sister, grapping a handful of hair before Michael leaned forward to untangle the dark strands from her tiny fingers.

"You go and find a book honey," he told his eldest daughter affectionately, helping her down from his lap before he reached across to take the baby from Fiona. Lifting Meaghan up he held her slightly higher for a few moments so that he could kiss her tiny nose before he settled her against his chest.

Leaning across him, Fiona watched her eldest daughter speed off towards her bedroom then kissed Meaghan's cheek before she pulled back to smile up at the man she loved. Their eyes met and held, causing her to gravitate towards him to press her lips to his.

"I'll see you later," she whispered softly, kissing him one more time before she slowly pulled away to shift forward off of the couch and stand up. Caitlin ran back into the room carrying two books under each arm and grinned up at her mother who hooked her bag over her shoulder.

"Bye mammy," she beamed as she scrambled up onto the couch to settle down into the seat that her mother had just vacated.

Shaking her head incredulously she took one last look at her family before she pulled the door open and stepped outside.

000

Fiona wandered around the store and plucked various cans from shelves to read the labels while trying to spot any dangers in her peripheral vision. Since she'd walked into the store a few minutes before she'd had the feeling that she was being watched. At first she put it down to paranoia, knowing that Marie could be anywhere in Miami right about now.

Moving along the isle she picked up a large can of tomatoes and placed it into the cart, keeping it close enough so that she could grab the can quickly if she needed a weapon. The more she walked, the more the hairs on the back of her head stood on end and she was becoming more uncomfortable by the second.

Trying to keep as calm as she could she pushed the cart through the end of the isle and manoeuvred her way through until she reached the fresh fruit section which gave her a better view of the various isles.

Picking up some apples she held them in her hand and lifted her head to look at the other shoppers, her eyes trying to pick out any one of them who looked even slightly suspicious. When none of them looked in her direction she placed the apples back on the shelf and moved along a little further towards the pack of blueberries that she'd originally intended to buy.

Just as she was about to move away a flash of movement caught her eye and she suddenly spun around to see a man a little way behind her who turned away when he knew she had spotted him. Standing still Fiona glanced down into the cart and contemplated her next move when the man in question made his way towards her.

"I'm sorry for staring," he told her with a shy smile. "I…"

"Whatever you're about to say, save it," she told him, her voice leaving no doubts about her annoyance. "I'm married."

Holding his hands up in surrender he took a step back and shook his head. "No…I didn't mean…sorry…"

"Then what exactly did you mean?" she asked angrily. "You follow me around the store and then you sneak up on me!"

Raising her voice she knew the two of them were gaining attention and a few people were looking in their direction. Putting on her best act she glared at him before she held her hand up and pointed to the ring on her wedding finger.

"Do you want me to call my husband and tell him some guy is _hitting_ one me?" she huffed. "Well?"

"No…I'm sorry…" Taking a step backwards the man held his hands up and turned away before he span his cart around and scurried away.

Fiona watched him until he was out of sight and slowly felt her heart rate return to normal when she allowed herself to breathe a little easier. Glancing down into the cart she looked at the contents before she grabbed the blueberries from the shelf and moved towards the checkouts, needing to be away from here as fast as she could.

As soon as she was outside she scanned the parking lot for any signs of the man who had approached her inside the store, not totally convinced that he was purely there because he wanted to ask her on a date. So far this whole thing with Marie had her on edge and she couldn't help but consider every person she saw outside of her family as a suspect.

Moving towards her car that she'd parked near the exits a long way from the store, she kept her eyes in ever different direction, looking for anything that seemed out of place. When she finally reached the car she opened the trunk and placed the small bag of groceries inside before she slammed it closed only to come face to face with the man from inside the store.

Within seconds she pulled her SIG from her bag and held it in her hand so that he could see it before she silently challenged him to come any closer.

"Look, I'm really sorry if I scared you but—"

Moving forward Fiona tightened her hold on the gun in her hand and glared at him dangerously expecting him to take a step back, but he didn't. Instead he fixed her with his steely gaze sending her senses into overdrive.

"I have a message for you," he told her slowly, his face changing instantly when his eyes turned ice cold. Surging forward he tried to knock the gun from her hand but she was quicker and darted sideways out of the way before she delivered a powerful kick in the back of his leg. She could hear the crack when he hit the ground but before she could stand back and gloat in satisfaction he kicked out with his other leg causing her to fall backwards, cracking her shoulder on the asphalt floor.

The pain shot through her upper body and she gasped in a groan when she slowly pulled herself to her feet. The man was still writhing on the ground in agony and despite her own pain she stepped closer lowering her foot down onto his broken leg and pressing all of her weight onto it. He wailed in agony and tried to pull away but she pressed down harder.

"What's this message you have for me?" she asked calmly as she tried to push the pain in her shoulders away. "TELL ME."

"ARGHHH…you crazy…_BITCH_…" he groaned. "She said…ARGHHH…"

Holding up her gun she pointed the barrel over his body, moving it along his prone form to come to stop over his knees, holding the gun dangerously close to his legs.

"Tell me now or I'll pull the trigger."

The man's eyes flared with pain and he laid flat onto the ground groaning in agony. "Some chick…" he gasped out. "She…arghhh…"

"She what?" Losing patience Fiona lifted her foot and stamped down hard, her eyes flaring with annoyance when he wouldn't tell her what she wanted to know.

"SHE WAS IRISH, _OKAY_…" he sobbed. "She just wants her kid back…" gasping in a breath he looked upon her with hooded eyes before he shook his head. "She told me you stole her kid—"

"SHE is _MY_ child," Fiona spat, stamping down heavily on his leg once more before she moved away again.

He yelped out in pain as he rolled onto his side muffling his scream into the asphalt floor. His whole body throbbed with torturous agony and all he could think was how could such a tiny woman cause so much damage.

"Where is she?" She demanded, stepping towards him ready to stamp down on his leg again. She watched in satisfaction when he begged her to stop, holding his hands up when tears leaked out of his eyes.

"Broward County …" he hissed out. "She's in Davie…that's all I know…"

"You'd better NOT be lying to me," she growled, her eyes sparking with fire when he shook his head pathetically.

Stepping away towards her car she gasped in a breath when a white hot pain soared through her shoulder and she could already feel her shoulder protesting when she tried to move it. Placing her hand on the top of her car she scrunched her eyes closed and surged forward. The loud crack when the ball of her shoulder slipped back into place mingled with the hiss that escaped her lips, causing her eyes to clamp closed until the pain began to subside.

Taking a few deep breaths she opened her eyes and looked back to the man who was still lying on the ground and regarded him with distaste. "If you contact her I'll kill you."

"No…no I won't…I need an ambulance…pl—"

"Get it yourself," she spat. "I have to stop a bitch trying to steal my baby."

Turning away from him she climbed in her car and slammed the door closed before she sped away out of the parking lot, leaving the writhing man behind her.

000

Looking down at his eldest daughter beside him, he smiled at her when she turned the page of the book they were reading and pointed to one of the brightly coloured pictures.

"Look daddy, tha' could me Meagan an' me."

Nodding silently he tried not to let her see the worry in his eyes when he glanced up at the clock on the wall. Fiona had been gone a lot longer than usual and even though he knew she could take care of herself but he couldn't shake off the nagging concern eating away at him.

"Dadddddy," Caitlin whined when he wasn't paying attention to the pictures on the page. "Yer not lookin'."

Dropping his eyes down to his daughter he flashed her a wide grin and bent his forward to press a kiss onto his her head.

"I am looking," he told her as he cast his eyes down towards the colourful pictures. "You're right it does look a lot like you and Meaghan."

Caitlin's eyes grew wide and she burst into a smile as she snuggled in closer to his side. "Do ya think mammy is goin' ta be home soon?"

"I hope so honey," he sighed, glancing up at the clock one more time before he shifted Meaghan's sleeping form when his arm started to get heavy.

"Do ya wan' me ta get ya har bottle?"

"Not yet honey," he told her with a smile as he started to shift himself forward. "I'm just going to put her to bed. If you find us another book to read we'll—"

Before he could finish he heard the distinctive sound of Fiona's car pulling up outside and felt the relief swamping his heart. Standing up he looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms before he met Caitlin's wide eyes. "Wait for your mom honey, if she needs any help with the groceries—"

"I'll help har," she beamed when she closed the book and scrambled off of the couch and watched her father as he shot her a wide grin before he turned away and walked towards Meaghan's bedroom.

Picking up her book, Caitlin placed it onto the table and ran towards the window to wave at her mother when she climbed out of the car. When she smiled back she jumped backwards and moved towards the door, waiting patiently for it to open.

When Fiona came into the house Caitlin surged towards her, throwing her arms around her mother just like she always did but this time she didn't put her arms around her.

Fiona gasped in a breath as she lowered the grocery bag and tried to offer her daughter a smile but it came out more like a grimace.

"Baby could you take this for me," she asked when the little girl reached for the bag in her hand.

Caitlin took the bag from her and looked up at her worriedly but before she could speak her mother laid a hand on her head.

"I'm okay baby; I just hurt my shoulder at the store."

Nodding, Caitlin moved towards the table and put the bag onto it before she watched her mother sit down onto the couch. Moving towards her she scrambled onto the couch to sit down beside her.

"Do ya wan' me ta get daddy?"

"I'm fine baby," she whispered as she lifted her uninjured arm for her daughter to snuggle close to her. "It's just a little sore."

"Okay…" leaning into the woman beside her, Caitlin lifted her head and looked up to see her mother's eyes scrunched closed. Lowering her head again the little girl stretched her arm across Fiona's stomach, holding her tight when she gasped in a breath.

"Fi…"

Fiona's eyes sprung open and she looked over at him, her eyes telling him more than words ever could. She knew she couldn't hide the pain from him no matter how many times she insisted that she was fine.

"I'm okay," she told him, her voice straining when she tried to find a more comfortable position. "Is Sam back yet?"

Michael's eyes dropped down to their daughter who was clinging to her mother like some kind of lifeline and he knew right there and then that there was something terribly wrong. Moving across to the table he picked his phone up and pressed in a number before he turned back around to watch his two girls. The second his mother answered he lowered his voice but kept his eyes fixed on Fiona and Caitlin.

"Mom…"

"_Michael. How nice of you to call…I was beginning to think you'd forgotten how to—"_

"Mom, can you come over?" he asked as he tried to keep the worry from seeping through his words. "I need you to stay with the girls."

"_Of course I can honey,"_ she told him quickly and he could already hear her reaching for her cigarettes. _"What's going on?"_

"I…I'm not sure myself yet but whatever it is—"

"_I'll be right over Michael,"_ her voice cut through his and she ended the call before he could utter another word. Taking the phone away from his ear he looked down at the blank screen and was already pressing in Sam's number when the door opened and he stepped inside.

"Hey Mikey," he called when he stepped inside and pushed the door closed again. "Why's the door unlocked? You know ya just invi—"

Sam's voice died on his lips when he saw his friend standing beside the table looking like he'd seen a ghost. Following his gaze he swallowed the worry that coursed its way through his body when he saw Fiona's pale complexion and the little girl who sat closely by her side.

He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but clamped it closed when Michael shook his head and moved towards the brown grocery bag. Peering inside he noticed the blueberries on top of the pile and pulled them out before he turned to call his daughter.

"Caitlin, mom got you blueberries."

Taking the hint Sam moved forward and looked across at his little niece before he took the fruit from his friends hand and peered down at it.

"Oh boy, blueberries…I sure don't know who would eat these…"

"Me," Caitlin grinned as she slid herself forward to get off of the couch. Turning to her mother she stopped before she moved, obviously torn between walking away and staying where she was. "I like blueberries…"

"Well how about you come help me in the kitchen," Sam told her with a wide grin as he walked around Michael before patting his shoulder. Glancing back to the little girl he inclined his head and winked at her before he turned back around and walked into the kitchen. "You'll have to help me. I don't know how to make pancakes."

The promise of pancakes pulled Caitlin away from Fiona's side as she sped off into the kitchen, bouncing up and down with excitement.

"I know how ta make tham," she told him quickly as she moved around him to pull open one of the deep drawers to take a large mixing bowl out. Handing it to him she grinned up at her favourite uncle before she climbed up onto one of the kitchen stools, waiting for him to start.

Michael caught Sam's nod and turned towards his girlfriend who was sitting on the couch with her eyes tightly closed. Moving towards her he knelt beside the couch and took hold of her hand before he waited for her to open her eyes.

"Hey," he whispered with a smile. "Come on."

Standing up he tugged on her hand, pulling her up with him, noting how she winced a little as she moved. Taking one last look behind him he watched as his friend distracted Caitlin when he danced around the kitchen with a wooden spoon in his hand. Wordlessly Michael tugged on Fiona's hand, leading her towards their bedroom, their daughter's uncontrollable giggling filling the room behind them.

When they walked inside the bedroom Michael pushed the door closed before he manoeuvred Fiona towards the bed to sit her down on it. She was so quiet and her pale face sent another bout of worry straight to his heart causing him to sit down onto the mattress beside her.

"Fi—"

"She's here," she told him quickly, her voice shaking as she spoke. "Michael…Marie is here."

"What?" Moving closer he reached out to touch her arm put pulled his hand back the second she hissed out in pain. "Fi…"

"I'm okay," she insisted as she lifted her eyes to his. "Some guy jumped me in the parking lot."

"WHAT?" shifting forward he reached up his hand to move her hair away from her face and watched her for any signs of trauma but he couldn't see any visible signs.

With her eyes locked with his she bit her lip when she unbuttoned her top to slide it slowly from her sore shoulder and waited for his inevitable reaction, but to her immense surprise it never came. Instead he reached out a hand to gently move the material away so that he could examine it more closely.

"It's fine Michael…" she reassured him when his eyes grew more concerned by the second. "I took care of him."

"Who was he?" he asked lowly, the anger already building in his voice as his eyes surveyed her bruising skin.

"He'll be walking with a limp from now on," she told him as she kept her gaze fixed on his eyes. "I broke his leg."

"Good," he told her with a hint of a proud smile. "That'll make him an easy target when I find him."

"Michael," she chided. "I told you I'm fine. It's Marie you should be focussing on. That bitch came all the way out here to steal our baby."

"Let her try," he warned, lifting his eyes to hers for the first time since she'd removed her shirt. "I'll get you some ice for your shoulder."

Moving backwards she grabbed his hand before he could leave, keeping him beside her for a few more moments. "She's in Broward County Michael…"

Nodding his head he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm before he released her again to stand up in front of her. "One thing at a time Fi," he told her softly. "When my mom gets here we'll grab Sam and go to the loft okay…she doesn't know where the Caitlin is—"

"But she knew which store I was at," her voice cut through his as she gazed up at him with fear in her eyes. "If she could find the store—"

"We'll get her Fi," he promised, knowing she could see the conviction in his eyes. "This time we'll end it for good."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews and PM's on this and my other stories. I wish I had time to reply to all of you personally but please know that your comments are all very much appreciated. I value every story and author add too, so thank you all so much for your support.**

**Huge thanks to Purdy's Pal and JediSkysinger for reading through parts of this for me. Also extra special thanks to JediSkysinger for providing me with new ideas along the way. Thanks also to DaisyDay for being such a great friend and to all of the girls on Twitter for your love and friendship**

9

Madeline knocked on the door to her son's house and looked around her with the same scrutiny as she always did when she came here. Since Fiona's sister in law had effectively come into their lives to cause so much unwanted mayhem, all of them had merged together to keep Caitlin safe. Every day that passed seemed to be another step forward but she knew that none of them could breathe easy anymore, not after Marie's chilling promise to return.

Michael's phone call earlier had caused all of those worries to resurface and by the urgency in his voice she knew that something was seriously wrong. The door suddenly opened and she was greeted with the sweet aroma of pancakes wafting through the house. Stepping inside she caught the worry in her son's eyes even though he tried to hide it with a smile.

"Thanks for coming over mom," he told her softly as he guided her inside before closing the door behind her.

"It's not a problem Michael." Looking past him she smiled when she spotted her eldest granddaughter currently standing on a stool in the kitchen and succeeding in wrapping Sam around her little finger. "Are the girls okay?"

"They're fine," he nodded. "But…"

His voice trailed away when Fiona came into the room portraying an air of calm. Spotting her mother in law standing beside Michael she instantly melted into a smile. Moving towards Madeline she pulled her into a hug, holding onto her tighter than she normally did.

"Thanks for coming Madeline," she whispered gratefully as she slowly pulled away. "Caitlin has some new books to read and Meaghan should be awake in the next hour."

"Is everything okay?" Madeline asked, keeping her voice low when she felt the woman before her shaking slightly. Looking over her face she could see some bruising on her cheek and instantly a surge of worry coursed through her. "Fiona?"

To her credit Fiona just smiled and put on an act that was worthy of an Oscar when she forced a bright smile onto her lips. Nodding her head she reached out to hold onto Madeline's hand, giving it a desperate squeeze before she released her and stepped backwards.

Madeline watched her son hovering over his girlfriend and even though he had always been so protective of her, this time he seemed different, much gentler. She found herself silently observing for the next few seconds before a delighted squeal caused her to turn her attention onto Caitlin who had only just noticed that she had arrived.

Pushing her worries aside, Madeline slipped her bag from her shoulder and placed it onto the floor beside the door before she stepped forward to hold her arms open for the little five year old who had stolen her heart.

"Nana," Caitlin giggled excitedly as she barraged into her with such force she nearly knocked both of them over. Squeezing her grandmother tightly she slowly loosened her grip and moved backwards to beam up at her before she grabbed hold of her hand. "Do ya wan' some pancakes?"

"Pancakes?" Madeline asked with an over enthused smile. "I would love some sweetheart."

"I've got blueberries too…do ya wan' some?"

Michael watched his mother being led away by his beloved little girl and he suddenly had a flood of anger course right through his body. They had built a happy life for themselves here. He had the woman he loved by his side and she had already given him two beautiful daughter's. It just seemed to be one disaster after another since he'd been burned and the happy life he knew he wanted now, seemed to be slipping further and further away.

Sensing his unrest Fiona turned to look at him and laid her hand against his arm. She knew he was angry; she was too. They could never seem to catch a break and she also knew that once they had dealt with Marie, their temporary respite would only last as long as a few weeks before Michael would resume his quest to get to the bottom of his burn notice…and she would support him because their lives weren't just about them anymore, it was about their two little daughter's. They had to do whatever they could to keep them safe, even if that meant Michael resuming his search for answers.

"We can't leave your mom alone with the girls," she told him suddenly, her worry causing a swell of fear to rear up inside her.

Michael tore his eyes away from his eldest daughter who was in the kitchen keeping his mother and best friend entertained.

"Fi…"

"We'll talk to Sam in the garage; we can't leave your mom here alone especially with Marie already here…" eyeing him with determination she could already see that her words were slowly sinking in. "You know I'm right."

Michael closed his eyes as he tried to calm the chaos in his heart. Becoming a family man had mellowed him, he knew he had become a little sloppy and that scared him. Opening his eyes again he looked upon the woman he loved and nodded in agreement. She was right of course…she always was. He was just so used to solving problems in the loft environment that he never really thought of anywhere else.

"We'll go out the back," he told her softly when thoughts of Fiona's crazy sister in law burned into his mind. He couldn't believe he had even thought of leaving his mother alone in the house when Marie could be anywhere. "You go ahead. I'll get Sam."

Fiona watched him silently before she looked around the family room, checking that all of the windows were locked down tight. She knew she would only be a short distance away from her children but it still didn't ease the worry of possibly losing them. Patting Michael's arm she stepped away from him and turned back towards the bedrooms, intent on checking that all of the windows were locked down tight there too…just to be safe.

Michael swallowed hard when he watched Fiona move back towards the bedrooms. She was so strong, stronger than he gave her credit for. She had kept her head throughout this whole nightmare and on top of that she had managed to keep the girls' lives as normal as she could…and he was so proud of her.

Sam's voice brought him out of his reverie, causing him to turn towards the kitchen in time to see his friend giving his little girl a high five. It amazed him how Caitlin had changed them all. He hadn't known of her existence for so many years but now that she was here, he couldn't ever remember what his life had been like without her.

Thinking back to those days in Ireland he found his mind wandering to a time when he and Fiona had first laid eyes on each other. He'd felt the lurch in his heart the second his gaze met hers and he'd known then that she was the _one…_

_He'd spent the last month going over the Intel Card had given him. He lifted the photograph up one more time and gazed down at the woman who had kept him so captivated. His mission was to infiltrate the IRA and he was supposed to get close to this woman to do it._

_The more he looked over her image, the more he lost himself. He'd never felt like this before, never over some image of a woman he'd never even met. _

_Throwing the photo back onto the table he leaned back against the couch and ran a hand over his eyes. What the hell was he doing? He had a fiancée back home, someone he loved…so why was he feeling so confused by his reaction to this other woman…_

_Maybe he just missed Samantha and he was just projecting his emotions onto Fiona Glenanne…yes, that had to be it. He knew Samantha was back in the states and that he couldn't contact her. As every other mission he'd been on she'd known none of the details but just accepted the fact that he had to go away on a mission for an undetermined amount of time. She knew the job involved lying to people, something she enjoyed doing far too much and that was something that had always irked him about her._

_He didn't enjoy the part of his job that left assets out in the cold. He'd always tried to keep himself detached when the time came to disappear off into the night when the people he used for information were no longer of any value. He'd always been so good at remaining unaffected by the people he was fooling, but he'd never been so enthralled by any of them before. _

_Sitting forward again he plucked the photograph back off of the table and held it in his hand. Gazing down at the image once more he felt a surge of desire that he couldn't deny…but even as he threw the photo back down and reached for his jacket he was still trying to justify it._

_She was a beautiful woman whose image had left an imprint in his mind. She had managed to overtake every single memory he'd kept of Samantha, pushing her further into the farthest reaches of his mind until he didn't think of her at all. He couldn't explain his reaction and if he was honest he didn't really want to. All he could focus on was the need to find Fiona Glenanne and try to think of why she had him so entranced._

_Moving towards the mirror he stared into it and took in his appearance. He was standing on one side as Michael Westen but in his reflection he was Michael McBride. This was the man who had the attraction to the Irish woman in the photographs, not him…It wasn't him…no…_

_Later that night when he returned he had the answer to his own question shouting to him loud and clear. He'd never believed in love at first sight before, but the second he'd laid eyes on Fiona Glenanne he'd been lost. She evoked feelings inside him that no other woman ever had and even when he stepped out of the shower and returned to being Michael Westen, the stir in his heart was still there…_

_He had fallen in love at first sight… and he didn't know what he was supposed to do now…_

Caitlin's loud giggles brought him out of his memories and he couldn't help but smile. She looked just like her mother when she laughed. Her eyes sparkled with the same glow that he'd seen in Fiona all those years ago. His mind wandered back to that time once more, a time when he'd finally understood that it _was_ possible to be consumed by another human being…

"_Cat got yer tongue Michael?" Fiona asked him with a smile that wasn't so innocent. "Are ya goin' ta get over here ta me or stand thare like ya don' kno' wha' ta do!"_

_Michael's eyes grew wide when he took in her naked appearance and suddenly he felt like a fumbling virgin. This woman was a temptress and she had pulled him into her in every possible way. Lifting her head to prop in into her hand she cast him a seductive smile that almost caused his knees to buckle beneath him._

_Her smile urged him out of his sudden shyness causing him to close the last remaining distance between them. He looked down into her eyes, searching for any signs that she didn't really want this but all he could see was overwhelming acceptance. He silently sighed with relief as he slid one of his hands through her hair, tangling his fingers in the soft strands. His gaze lowered to her full lips and his breath hitched in his lungs. He had wanted this so badly, almost since the moment he'd laid eyes on her image ingrained in the photograph._

_Michael's mouth grew dry when he caught the look that was present in her gaze and he knew ho could never deny her. The want in her eyes called to something deep inside him. He felt invincible, capable of anything right at this moment. There was no hesitation in his heart, no reluctance in his body. He wanted this and he wanted her…so badly._

_Desire and something deeper scorched through his body, lighting small fires wherever it went. He gasped slightly when she lifted both hands to his head, holding his hair between her fingers, as she brought his mouth down to hers._

_Their lips finally met and Michael felt as though he had been struck by a lightning bolt. Passion flared between them, dissolving any sense of patience. He knew only that he wanted to get as close as possible to her. He wanted to feel the heat of her skin under his hands and the beating of her heart beneath his lips. Lifting himself up he felt her tug his shirt loose and slide a hand under the soft material to roam restlessly over his chest. _

_He was lost in her, totally and completely lost. Never before had any other woman caused him to feel this way. She had a power over him that was not only frightening but exciting at the same time. Her touch set him alight, her fingers scorching wherever they touched. He couldn't hold himself back any longer and he surged down towards her, knocking her hands to the side as he covered her mouth with his._

_One scorching kiss led to another and another, their tongues meeting and dancing together like old friends and new lovers. His mouth roamed over hers, demanding and taking, unwilling to part even for a moment. He felt Fiona move against him, her body commanding his as he fought to remain in control, but the second she gasped his name he was completely under her spell._

_Fiona's hands left Michael's hair and moved over his body, the movements causing his body to shiver against her. With his mouth still glued to hers, Michael crushed himself against her chest as his lips took hers again and again in another series of burning kisses that left him aching for her. _

_Without warning, Michael's mouth broke off from Fiona's kiss-swollen lips and dropped to her neck. Her head arched away to give him better access and she gasped as his lips and tongue found her skin, kissing and nipping her throat to leave her shivering and gasping against him…_

"Mike…Hey earth to Mike…"

Jarring himself out of his memories, Michael turned his eyes onto the man beside him and instantly felt his face grow warm. He'd found himself slipping into the past on more than one occasion lately and he knew it had a lot to do with the beautiful woman who had stolen his heart so many years ago.

Shaking himself he forced his body to return to the present when his friend's lips turned upwards into a knowing smirk. Taking a breath he focused on the little girl who was currently feeding his mother a piece of blueberry pancake and he suddenly felt something in his heart burst.

"Sam, we're staying put," he told him when Fiona came back into the family room. "We're locking down the house and staying here."

"Mike—"

"No Sam," Michael told him with steely determination when he turned back to meet Fiona's gaze before he returned to his friend. "We're doing this thing here."

Fiona laid a hand on Michael's shoulder and nodded silently before she moved towards the kitchen when her daughter and mother in law were waiting. She smiled despite the heaviness in her heart, knowing that whatever she was feeling now would be eradicated the second she felt her little girl's arms around her.

Coming to a stop beside Caitlin's chair she reached around her from behind, holding her tightly against her chest as she pressed a kiss against her neck.

"Mammmy…" Caitlin giggled, squirming beneath the noisy kisses that her mother was placing all over her skin.

"You stay here with nana and listen out for Meaghan okay baby?" Fiona asked her with a smile as she kissed Caitlin again. "We won't be gone long and we'll only be in the garage."

"Do ya want ta take some pancakes?" Caitlin asked her with a beaming smile, causing her mother's eyes to grow bright.

"You save some for me okay baby."

"Okay," Caitlin beamed as she turned in the circle of her mother's arms to throw her arms around her shoulders. "I'll tell nana when Meaghan wakes up."

Fiona felt her heart surge when she moved closer to pull her daughter in tighter. She knew she shouldn't be feeling so irrational but she couldn't keep the fear of losing this little girl out of her heart.

"I love you," she whispered as she held on tight to her daughter, needing to say the words aloud just one more time.

Caitlin grinned as she pulled back a little to lay her hands on either side of her mother's face before she moved forward to kiss her. "I love ya too mammy."

"Fi…" Michael called out to his girlfriend when she seemed reluctant to move away. He totally understood because he felt it too. His two daughters were everything to him and he knew that he would do anything to protect them, but they had to rid themselves of Marie first.

Hearing Michael's voice brought Fiona's eyes back onto him and she found herself nodding slightly when she held her daughter tightly against her chest one more time. The child's soft hair tickled her nose but she didn't care, all she could think of was how she never wanted to let her go.

Slowly she loosened her arms and stepped back, offering Caitlin a bright smile. "You be good for your nana baby. We'll be back soon."

Michael watched her intently when she moved towards him, knowing that every step she took away from their daughter was like a strike into her heart. When she was close enough to touch he reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers reassuringly, hoping that he could give her as much strength as she had given him every single day.

Nodding silently she followed him and Sam to the rear of the house and towards the adjoining door that led into the garage. On her way through she glanced out of the window and into the large yard and she briefly remembered that they needed to buy gardening tools and mow the lawn since she had cancelled the lawn service company a few days ago. Since she had spoken to Sean about her mother and Marie she'd been on high alert and cancelled everything that she deemed a risk to her daughter's safety.

Her eyes fell onto the high security fence that Michael and Sam had erected shortly after they'd moved here and she had spent many hours since tending to the flower beds that Caitlin had helped her with. It had surprised her by how house proud she'd become since they had moved here. That pride had extended to the outside of the house, especially when she'd had Meaghan. They had begun to use the yard more since she was born especially as they were enclosed and it was the one place where Caitlin could play without her or Michael watching her every move.

A sudden pang of worry forced all of that happiness to fade away when she was brought back into the present when Michael called her name. Turning back towards him, her heart ached when she wished with all of her heart that they could just have one moment of peace when they could all relax without looking over their shoulders.

Stepping inside the large double garage she cast her eyes over the stark walls. Over in the back Michael had built some shelves that housed various tools for when he and Sam wanted to disappear when she and Madeline were having one of their _girl's_ days. Sometimes she longed to come out and join them but those moments were fleeting and were happening less often now. Sam had commented that she'd become more of a mommy than a fighter, stating that it was a good thing but her answer had been to clip him over the back of the head with one of Madeline's Magazines.

The charger sat to the left of the garage, filling half of the empty space with its presence. Fiona moved towards it, running her fingers lovingly over the hood before she turned to face both men as she leaned back against it, taking comfort from the familiarity of the cool metal against her.

"So…are you guys gonna tell me what all this is about?" Sam asked expectantly as he looked from one to the other, folding his arms across his chest. "The two a ya are walkin' around like you're expecting the sky to fall onto ya head."

Fiona's eyes locked with his and Sam could already see the worry burning within them. He had no idea what was going on, the pair of them had been speaking in some kind of secret code for days and the whole damn thing was becoming old. When neither of them spoke he opened his mouth to ask them the same question but before he could speak the look in Michael's eyes stole the words from his lips.

"Marie's here," Michael told him as he rubbed a hand over his eyes before he looked towards Fiona. She was holding herself together but he knew she was shaken and not just by the news about Marie. Unable to keep away from her he moved to her side and stood beside her, hoping that his presence could still the tremor in her body.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked, shaking his head even though he already knew the answer. Releasing the breath he didn't realise he was holding he watched the two people who looked as if they were propping each other up and he was unaccustomed to the ferocity of the fear that overtook him.

"She's in Broward County," Fiona told him, her voice causing the man beside her to slip an arm around her shoulder.

"Broward County?" Sam asked in disbelief as he pictured it in his mind. "My buddies have been watching for her at Miami International and the private airports down there… jeeze Mike..."

Michael could see his friend's panic stricken eyes but before he could speak, Fiona lifted her head to watch their friend, speaking his name, but he didn't hear her.

"She must have come in from Ft. Lauderdale International," Sam theorised as he paced the floor, his mind already working on overdrive. "She could have come in on one of the cargo flights…_DAMMIT_, how could I have missed it?"

"Sam," Fiona tried, her voice fighting through the ball of emotion that stuck in her throat. "It's not your fault—"

Her words didn't seem to register with the man who was pacing the floor in despair, berating himself for something that he couldn't have known.

"Wait, aren't there a load of horse farms down there?" Sam asked as he suddenly stopped pacing to turn around and face his two friends. "Does she have any friends there?"

Shaking her head, Fiona moved away from the charger and allowed Michael's arm to drop back down to his side. Stepping towards her friend she laid a hand on his am, her worried eyes already filling with tears. "I…don't know…"

Her words caused both men to look at her and for a few moments Sam was rooted to the spot. Fiona was always the one who was passionate and protective but seeing her like this, so scared and defeated threw him off guard.

"Believe me Fi, I won't let anyone get near those girls," Sam promised, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke. Swallowing heavily he watched as Fiona's eyes lifted to his, the love in her gaze causing him to become a little unhinged.

"I know you won't Sam," she told him with a smile when she squeezed his arm. "They love you."

Michael cleared his throat and stepped away from the charger to make his way towards them, his hand instantly sliding over Fiona's arm. He knew Sam was struggling to keep his emotions in check; he wasn't a man who readily lost control, but his eyes gave him away this time.

"They're good kids," Sam nodded, clearing his throat as his gaze flittered around the garage until he could reign in the moisture that had gathered in his eyes. When he felt more in control he turned back towards his friends who seemed to already be formulating some kind of plan and watched on silently when Michael skimmed his fingers over Fiona's.

"I'll call Patrick," Michael told her, his tone lowering until she lifted her eyes to his. "I know he's your brother but—"

"It's fine Michael," she told him curtly, her voice breaking through his. "I have nothing I want to say to him."

"If she's in Broward County I'll head down there with Sam. We—"

"Wait, you want me to stay behind?" she asked, her voice rising angrily as she pulled out of his grasp. "That bitch is here and she's after our child and what…you want me to stay here?"

"Fi…" her name came out on a sigh and he took another step towards her to pull her back against him. Holding his hands firmly against her arms he waited until she met his gaze again before he started to reason with her. "You said it yourself; we can't just leave my mom here to protect the girls. They need one of us here…"

Sam watched the two of them and even though he agreed with Michael he could also see that Fiona had a point. This whole thing had started way back in Ireland, long before Michael ever even knew he had a daughter and it was only natural that she would want to see it through until the end…but the girls needed their mother. He knew better than to get involved in this little spat of theirs because he knew it would come back to bite him if he did, and as he watched the couple he was glad that he'd listened to his own advice and kept quiet.

"If you find her I want to be the one to put a bullet in her," she told him fiercely. "I mean it Michael…I owe her."

"Fi, I want her gone as much as you do but you can't kill her—"

"Oh don't be ridiculous Michael," she snapped haughtily. "I'm not going to kill her. She has children."

Michael opened his mouth as he tried to form a sentence but he couldn't think of anything to say. This woman continued to surprise him, even now after all this time.

"Okay," he nodded finally as he diverted his gaze onto his friend. "Let's get started."

"Sure thing brother," Sam agreed. "You grab your phone and you can call Patrick from the car."

"Wait you're going there now?" Fiona asked incredulously. "What if—"

"Fi, if she's there then we have a better chance of finding her before she can come after Caitlin," Michael told her, his eyes imploring her to agree with him. "Fi…"

Closing her eyes briefly Fiona opened them again to look at the man she loved.

"Okay," she groused, her voice coming out on a sigh. "But I want to know what's going on every step of the way."

"You will," Michael told her softly when he grasped hold of her hand. "I promise…"

000

Caitlin was in the midst of stirring muffin batter when the three adults came back into the house. Michael beamed a smile towards his little girl when he grabbed his phone from the table. Looking over at his little girl he could already feel some of the darkness lift from his heart. She had messy hair and batter all over her face but she was still the most beautiful five year old in the world.

"Do ya wan' ta help me ta cook daddy? Nan said I coul' make muffins fer ya too," she told him with an adoring smile as she held up the spoon with a dollop of the mixture still piled upon it. "Did ya see I made it turn blue?"

Stepping closer he peered into the bowl with the questionable colour in it and shook his head. "That's great honey. I can't help you yet, I have to do something first okay?"

"And then ya will?" she asked hopefully, flashing him another smile. "Pleeeeeease…"

Despite the situation Michael broke out into a soft chuckle and even though he hadn't intended to, he moved around the table to gather her into his arms, sticky fingers and all. Hoisting her up against him he planted a kiss onto the part of her cheek that wasn't covered in sticky batter and held her tight.

"I'll do something with you as soon as I get back okay," he promised. "Whatever you want."

Leaning away from him Caitlin thought for a moment before she granted him another bright smile. "Can ya paint me nails like mammy's?"

"You want me to paint your nails?" he asked, unsure if he'd heard right. When she nodded emphatically he shrugged his shoulders before he agreed. "Okay…"

"YESSS," she grinned and she surged forward to wrap her arms around his neck. "An' then I can do yers fer ya."

Michael's eyes grew wide but before he could even say anything the little girl in his arms said something that always had the ability to render his powerless and once again he was totally lost in his complete and utter devotion to her.

"Yer tha best daddy ever," she told him excitedly before she reached out to hold his face still while she kissed him soundly, finding his lips. Pulling back just as quickly she grinned again. "I love ya forever an' ever."

"Yeah?" he croaked. "Forever?"

"Yep."

"Hey what about me?" Sam asked with a grin when he saw how his friend had suddenly turned into a puddle before his eyes. "Aren't I the best Uncle ever?"

Caitlin gasped when she saw him but instead of fighting to get down and run to him like she always did, this time she laid her cheek against her fathers and just nodded.

For a few moments Sam felt a little dejected but it soon passed when Fiona laid her hand on his arm. "Don't worry Sam, Michael always did know how to win a Glenanne's heart. She still loves _you_."

"She better," he grinned when he looked across to the little girl who instantly smiled.

"Yep," she beamed. "Are ya goin' ta come back wit' daddy?"

"You betcha I am li'l darlin'," he told her. "But I want my hug when I come back."

"Okay," Caitlin grinned, holding up her hand. "Ya can have five."

"_FIVE?"_ he asked in surprise. "Well I'd better make sure ya dad hurries back."

Taking the hint Michael kissed his daughter again before he placed her back down onto the stool. "I'll see you when we get back honey."

"Okay," she grinned and reached down for the spoon to stir the gloopy mixture in the bowl again.

Michael watched her for a few more moments before he reluctantly turned away. He could feel the pull to return just as much as Fiona had a short time ago but he also knew this was something they had to do. Moving towards Fiona he lifted his hand to her cheek, resting his palm against her before he moved closer to press a kiss onto her mouth.

His lips lingered over hers for a fraction longer than he intended but he just couldn't seem to move away. They both knew that whatever he found out from his trip with Sam to Broward County, it wasn't going to be good either way. Pulling away from her he rested his forehead against hers for a few moments before he released her and stepped back.

"I'll call you as soon as we know anything, okay?"

Nodding her head, Fiona watched him when he moved away from her to take Meaghan from his mother's arms. Lifting her up he grinned at her adoringly and kissed her nose before he lifted her against his shoulder to whisper soft words into her ear. The baby laughed when his breath tickled her ear and proceeded to turn her head to place her open mouth onto his cheek.

Fiona could feel her heart ache for him when he held his youngest daughter so tightly against him. Even though they were only checking out a lead, this felt a lot like a last farewell and she couldn't seem to stop her eyes flooding with just the thought of losing him. He must have sensed her eyes on him because he pulled Meaghan away to nuzzle her nose before he handed her back to his mother, watching intently when the baby grabbed hold of her grandmother's long necklace. Stepping away he looked back at Fiona and Caitlin one last time before he followed Sam out of the door, feeling the heaviness in every single step.

When they had gone, Fiona made her way towards Caitlin and instantly felt her worries melt away when her daughter looked up at her and grinned.

"Baby, just how much of that have you eaten?"

Wiping the back of her hand across her cheek, Caitlin left a smear of flour that stuck to her skin. Putting the wooden spoon back into the bowl she held her hands up and presented her mother with sticky fingers before she shrugged innocently.

"How about you go and wash up for me," Fiona told her with a smile when she caught Madeline's amused gaze.

The older woman held Meaghan in her arms, rocking her from side to side when the baby made little cooing noises. Smiling down at her, Madeline spoke to her in soft tones and saying words that made no sense at all but Meaghan responded to everything she said.

Fiona couldn't help the smile that lifted her lips; she had so much to be happy about. Marie was just a blot on the landscape, an unwelcome intruder who would be eradicated from their lives once and for all, very, very soon…

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, PM'd, favoured this story and the author follows. I know I say this every time but I appreciate all of you more than you could know. I wish I had time to reply to every one of you in person but RL takes up a lot of my time at the moment and I write when I have quiet moments.**

**Huge thanks as always to my wonderful friends: Purdy's Pal for reading through part of this for me and to JediSkysinger for providing me with locations as well as reading through for me too. Huge thanks also to DaisyDay for putting a smile on my face every single day, I don't know what I would do without you all.**

**Thanks also to the girls on twitter. You're all so special to me. Love you all**

10

Sam drove the charger along the 826 West out of Miami while Michael called Patrick's number for the third time. Holding it against his ear he pleaded silently for the man at the other end to answer the phone while he kept his eyes on the passing road signs. His heart was pounding inside his chest and he was starting to think that they would be heading to Broward County to carry out a blind search that may or may not lead to Marie.

After the fifth ring the voice at the other end of the phone startled Michael for a few seconds until he finally found his voice and croaked Patrick's name in desperation.

"_Michael?"_ Patrick asked in confusion_. "Is tha' you?"_

"Yes…it's me…listen, I need—"

"_I've been tryin' ta call ya fer tha last hour…ya need ta answer yer damn phone…"_

"Patrick," Michael snapped angrily, "if you're trying to make a point then make it, we're in the middle of trying to find _your_ wife!"

"_Tha's why I'm callin' ya. I go' a call from Marie's cousin, they own a horse farm ou' thare, in a place offa Griffin Road…"_

"Dammit…," Michael hissed out and glanced across to Sam. "Take I-75 North, Sam. She's somewhere off of Griffin Road."

"Sure thing brother," Sam gasped out as he kept his eyes on the road. "Can he give us the name of the farm?"

"_Michael…" _

"Yeah, we know it Patrick. What's the name of the farm? We're on our way there now," Michael's voice rose as he spoke, the irritation pouring out of him when he gripped the phone tighter. "I _NEED_ a name Patrick."

"_I don' know fer sure bu' it has somethin' ta do wit' Dwyer…sorry I can' give ya more."_

"Sam, we need to find a horse farm with the name of Dwyer," Michael told the man beside him and watched when he nodded silently as he took a hand off the steering wheel to delve into his pocket for his iphone and tossed it across to the man beside him.

Michael tucked his phone beneath his chin while he put the details into Sam's phone and only half listened to Patrick's disjointed voice. When the information popped up on the screen Michael tapped Sam's arm and handed him his cell before he turned his attention back to the man at the other end of the phone before he felt his patience slip away completely.

"What the HELL are _you_ doing about your wife? You do know she's out here to take my daughter?"

"_I know Michael...an' I promise ya I'll be makin' sure she can' ge' tha babby this time…"_ Patrick's voice crackled through the static over the line, his words sounding disjointed before the line cleared again. _"I'm on me way ta Miami righ' now…"_

"Fiona doesn't need this," Michael growled angrily. "Haven't you and your family done enough to her to her already?"

"_Micha—"_

"No Patrick, you listen to me. If that woman goes near my wife or my children I _swear_ I will KILL her. DO YOU hear me Patrick? I won't let her get away this time."

"_Aye I hear ya loud an' clear…bu' ya might be wantin' ta hear wha' I've go' ta say befer ya go an' kill me wife."_

Michael narrowed his eyes and clutched the phone tighter against his ear, "Yeah? What's that Patrick?"

"_She's pregnant."_

Michael head ached and he suddenly felt his blood run cold. Shaking his head he let out the breath he'd been holding and closed his eyes while he tried to think of what he could say.

"So why is she back in Miami for Caitlin?" he hissed angrily. "I thought you were supposed to be watching her—"

"_She's givin' me another son…"_ Patrick's voice softened and he too gasped out a breath as he spoke. _"An' I guess she wa' prayin' fer a girl this time."_

"I won't let her take my child," Michael promised, his voice dropping dangerously low. "I'm sorry Patrick but I don't think I'll be able to stop Fiona from hurting her this time, pregnant or not…she's not taking Caitlin from us."

"_Michael, tha's wha' I wanted ta tell ya…I found tha stuff she'd hidden from all a us befer she disappeared…an' it's bad, Michael…ya have ta know she's sick…she wouldn' be doin' this if she wasn'."_

"What did you find Patrick?" Michael asked, his patience wearing thin as he watched the scenery flash past.

"_She has new stuff in tha packs fer tha babby…ya have ta keep har safe."_

"I already told you Patrick, we won't let her take Caitlin from us." Michael nodded his head towards the exit sign that indicated they were turning onto Griffin Road and listened to the man at the other end of the phone trying to talk through the static on the line. "Patrick I can't hear you…say that again…"

"Marie…babby…she wants—"

The line grew silent and Michael took it away from his ear to look down at the blank screen before he threw it onto the dashboard.

"What did he say brother?" Sam asked, his voice rising over the roar of the engine. "Did he tell you—"

"He said Marie's pregnant and it's another boy."

"Jeeze Mike," Sam shook his head and put his foot down, driving faster. "That's gotta piss her off."

Instead of answering Michael snatched the phone from the dashboard and pressed in Fiona's number, hoping the sound of her voice would calm his nerves.

000

Meaghan's cries brought Fiona racing into the room, her eyes darting to the windows. Seeing nothing unusual she fought to control her thumping heart rate and moved towards the crib before she reached down to pull the baby up into her arms.

"Oh sweetie, what's wrong?" she cooed when Meaghan whimpered against her. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Manoeuvring the child in her arms she smiled down at her as she bent to place a kiss onto her forehead, nestling her lips against her warm skin. None of the baby books she'd read had come close to describing the love she felt as a mother. She could remember with perfect clarity that surge of protectiveness she'd felt when Caitlin had come into the world…a love that had never faded but only intensified.

Meaghan fussed, making whimpering sounds causing her mother to lift her head to gaze down at her. Fiona's eyes searched ever part of her but seeing no outwardly signs she moved across to the changing until and laid her on top of it before she started to unfasten the poppers, all the while whispering to her restless daughter.

"You look like daddy when you pout," she cooed when she eased Meaghan's arms out of the sleeves. "Just so you know, that doesn't work on me anymore."

Meaghan looked up at her mother and broke out into a wide grin as she kicked her legs in response. Fiona gazed down at her with absolute devotion and couldn't resist stroking the soft skin on her daughter's chest.

"Okay, well maybe your pout works more on me more than your dad's does," she grinned. "Now stop laughing and keep still. I am trying to change your diaper here!"

"Mammy, nana wants ta know if ya want har to help ya wit' anythin'," Caitlin's voice caused the baby to turn her head searching the room as she tried to find her sister. Fiona looked over at her eldest daughter and smiled, indicating for her to come closer.

"I think Meaghan wants to see you baby," she told her proudly when the little girl came further into the room. "I'll go and see nana when we've finished in here."

Caitlin's eyes sparked with love when she walked towards the changing unit and reached for her sister's tiny hand before she lowered her head and nuzzled her cheek against the baby's fingers.

"She's soft."

"That's because she's so tiny," Fiona told her with a smile as she placed a clean diaper onto the wriggling child who was cooing up at her elder sister. When she had finished she refastened the poppers on Meaghan's outfit and lifted her up, holding her back flat against her stomach so that she could see Caitlin properly.

The two girls responded to one another instantly, Meaghan already reaching out to grasp Caitlin's hand. The baby had grown so much in the last few weeks and her development had surprised all of them. Even though Fiona had already had one child, because she hadn't raised her she was doing everything with Meaghan as a new mother.

Watching her two little girls Fiona was suddenly struck with a sense of loss and she knew it had everything to do with missing all of these moments with Caitlin as she was growing. She wished she had the confidence to understand what was happening with all of the changes that Meaghan was going through, and despite how many times Michael had tried to reassure her that she was a good mother, sometimes she still felt like a failure.

"Look mammy, she's tryin' ta eat me," Caitlin giggled when Meaghan gnawed on her fingers only to snatch her hand away. "Ouch…"

Looking down at Caitlin questioningly when she held up her finger to show her, Fiona examined it as best as she could with Meaghan in her arms and gasped in amazement when she noticed that there was a distinctive red mark that looked like a dent on Caitlin's finger.

"Oh baby, it looks like a tooth mark," Fiona gasped with a smile when she met Caitlin's wide eyes. "I think your sister has her first tooth."

"Yer've go' a tooth," Caitlin gasped as she stepped forward to take both of Meaghan's balled fists in her hands and grinned up at their mother. "How many teeth does she have ta have befer she can eat real food?"

The question threw Fiona completely and she wished that Madeline was in the room with them just to verify an answer but all she could do was think back to the things she had read. Caitlin seemed to be a little distracted while she was talking to Meaghan and Fiona suddenly realised that she didn't have to know all of the answers.

"Soon baby," Fiona told her with a smile when she manoeuvred the baby in her arms so that she was cradling her against her. "She's still too young yet, but maybe in a few weeks."

"Did I have lots a teeth when I had food?" Caitlin asked curiously as she bounced up and down in front of Meaghan, playing peek-a-boo. She was so engrossed in her baby sister's giggles that she didn't see the fleeting sadness that crossed her mother's eyes. When she jumped backwards and pulled her hand away from Meaghan before she could gnaw on her finger again, she'd forgotten all about her unanswered question.

Stepping away from them, Caitlin moved back towards the crib and pulled out a pink rabbit to hold it in front of Meaghan, before she turned back towards the door and held it open for her mother.

"Do ya think daddy will be back soon?" she asked, her lips merging into a smile when she held up the toy rabbit to see if Meaghan could hold it yet. "Can I tell him abou' Meaghan?"

"Of course you can baby," Fiona grinned, relieved that she didn't have to answer any more questions. "As soon as he gets home."

"He's goin' ta paint me nails later."

"Really?" Fiona asked, the mental image bringing another smile to her lips. If someone had told her all those years ago that the man she had fallen in love with would allow himself to be influenced by a five year old she would have shot them on the spot. Shaking her head she lowered a hand to Caitlin's head and followed her out of the door. "Well, make sure you pick a bright colour."

"Yep."

When they moved out into the family room Madeline wasn't anywhere to be seen, her absence sent immediate worry to Fiona's eyes. Looking around the room she found herself checking every window and trying to think how she was going to keep the girls safe and hold a gun at the same time.

The front door suddenly opened and the woman in question came into the house. Closing the door behind her she stopped on the spot when she saw how pale Fiona's face had become and instantly made her way towards her.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

Swallowing her fear Fiona released the breath she'd been holding and plastered a smile onto her face. She didn't want to allow her worry to speak for her because she knew all too well how easy it was to say things she didn't mean when she was scared. The smell of cigarettes clung to Madeline's body and she made a mental note to tell her to step out in the yard next time she needed a cigarette break.

"Nothing…" she lied. "Meaghan's got a tooth."

"A tooth?" Moving towards them Madeline reached out to take the baby from her arms and held her up so that she could kiss her cheek. "You're getting to be a big girl now."

"Yep," Caitlin grinned when she stepped up to her grandmother to peer up at her sister. "Soon she can eat real food an' I'm goin' ta tell daddy."

"You are?" Madeline asked, her smile widening as she spoke. "Well you know what honey, why don't we go and sit on the couch and read a book to Meaghan so your mom can take a break."

Fiona was about to answer and insist that she was absolutely fine but before she could object the cell phone began to ring on the table and she moved to snatch it up, relieved to see Michael's name on the screen.

"Michael," she breathed the second she pressed the phone to her ear. "Where are you?"

"_Fi…I spoke to Patrick, we're on our way to a place off of Griffin road, Marie's got a cousin who owns a horse farm there."_

"Dwyers?" Fiona asked him numbly as she tried to process just how many miles that was away from them. "But…I don't…"

"_You know it?"_ he asked excitedly.

"No…not really I know she has a cousin somewhere. Her names Katherine Dwyer, she left Ireland when Caitlin was a baby…" shaking her head Fiona gasped in a breath and closed her eyes against the throbbing headache behind her eyes. "Is it her? Is she helping her?"

"_I don't know for sure—"_

"Michael," she ground out suddenly, angry tears burning her eyes. "I need to know."

"_That's where she is Fi…that's all I know…"_ after a few seconds his voice softened again, _"Are you and the girls okay?" _

"Yeah, we're good…we…" her heart lurched in her chest when she thought of the possibility that Marie could be near the house right now. Turning her eyes onto her two daughters she swallowed the lump in her throat and resisted the urge to ask him to come home, knowing that if he heard for one second that she was terrified he would turn around right now. "We're all fine."

"_You're sure?"_

"I'm sure…" she told him, lowering her voice as she moved towards the back windows and away from Madeline and the girls. "Now you go and find that bitch and make sure she doesn't show her face here again."

"_I'm on it Fi…I'll see you soon…"_

"Okay," she nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Call me as soon as you know anything?"

"_You know I will—"_

The line grew silent and she drew in a deep breath before she pushed the worry to the back of her mind. It wasn't like him to end the call without a goodbye now, not since Caitlin had come back into their lives. She could already feel the same worry eating away at her when her mind twisted her thoughts to tell her that he was slipping back into his old ways. He wasn't, she knew that, but it didn't stop those nagging doubts from taking her fear and turning it into something it wasn't…Michael wouldn't return to the way he was before because he was a father now…she was just over thinking again.

Placing the phone back onto the table she moved into the kitchen and listened to her eldest daughter reciting the words from the book that they were reading. Fiona's heart clenched in her chest when she thought of everything that Caitlin was missing out on and all because of an obsessed woman who couldn't seem to let go. As soon as this was all over for good then maybe she and Michael would make this _marriage_ of theirs official. Maybe then they _could_ have their happily ever after…

000

Michael stared down at his phone and instantly tried to redial Fiona's number only to be met with a disconnected tone. He glanced across at Sam worriedly before he tried again, this time punching her number in manually just in case his phone was acting up.

Lifting it to his ear he silently pleaded with anyone who was listening to let the call connect so that he could calm the panic overtaking his body. The same sound pierced his ears and he gasped in an anxious breath.

"I can't get through to her, Sam…"

"Maybe the networks down, Mike," Sam suggested hopefully as he put his foot down on the accelerator and drove faster as he inclined his head towards the map on his iphone mounted on the dashboard. "Keep tryin', according to this we should be coming up on the farm any minute now."

If Michael heard him he didn't give any indication of it. Pressing Fiona's number into the phone again he lifted it to his ear once more and tapped his foot onto the floor as he began a mantra that were the same words over and over…"Pick up…pick up…pick up…"

When the same harsh tone rang in his ears again he growled in frustration and tried another number, this time pressing in his mother's. He knew the two women were together and that gave him some tiny measure of relief but when he was met with the same sound, indicating that the line was dead he knew something was wrong.

"SAM my mom's not answering…something's wrong."

"Oh jeeze…hang on brother we're almost there... Give Barry a call—"

"_Barry?_ Seriously?" Michael snapped as he tried Fiona's number again. "He's good with money but—"

"Look Mike we're running outta choices here. You need someone who can get to your place fast and even if we turned around now it'll still take us an hour to get back." Gripping the steering wheel tighter Sam kept his eyes on the road and sped up, ramming his foot down onto the accelerator. Glancing across to the man in the seat beside him he could already see him losing his tenuous control before he snapped his eyes back onto the road again.

Michael's voice was shaking when he scrolled through his phone book and pressed down on Barry's number. His heart was pounding in his chest as he listened to the silence on his phone until the call connected, filling him with relief.

"Barry," he gasped out as he tried to get his words out. "I need you to do something for me."

"_Yeah Mike…I'm kinda in the middle of a thing right now—"_

"Listen, I NEED you to go to my house and stay with Fi and the girls until I get back," Michael hissed out as he tried to speak over the tremor in his voice. "Can you do that for me?"

"_What's all this about Mike? Is everything okay?"_

"No _BARRY_ everything's _not_ okay. Just head to the house…_go_ NOW…"

"_Yeak, okay… jeeze Mike…I'll go,"_ Barry gasped out. _"Tell me the address and I'll head there now."_

"I'll text it to you…just stay with them okay…?"

"_Okay…"_

Pressing the end call button Michael pressed in the address and texted it onto Barry, feeling a tiny bit of relief when the text was delivered. He had just started to press in Fiona's number again when his phone sprang to life in his hand and he snatched it up, placing it against his ear.

"Fi?"

"_No Michael, it's me."_

"Patrick? What—"

"_Ya have ta listen ta me an' stop yer talkin'. Marie wan's yer babby an' she's go' it inta har head tha' she can jus' come an' take har."_

"I told you already Patrick I won't let her take Caitlin," Michael growled out the words and opened the car door the second Sam stopped it in front of Dwyer's Horse Farm.

"_Tha's wha' I've been tryin' ta tell ya. It's_ no' Caitlin she wan's, it's tha' babby…I found cupboards full a stuff fer ya little one, all pink."

Michael stopped dead and the colour drained away from his face. Right before his eyes he could see a woman coming towards them with blood sticking her hair to the side of her head. "I'll stop her Patrick," he promised. "You'd better get to Miami fast."

"_Aye I know," Patrick sighed. "I'll be thare befer tha day's out."_

Stuffing the phone back into his pocket Michael pulled his gun out of the waistband of his pants and held it onto the woman who was approaching them, keeping it trained on her even when she held her hands in the air.

"Where's Marie?" he growled out as he moved towards her, gun still drawn. "TELL ME…"

"She's gone," Katharine Dwyer shook her head and stumbled onto her knees. "She's nuts…she held a gun on me husban' an' demanded he helped har steal some wee babby bu' I wouldn' have any part a it…"

Lowering his gun, Michael looked towards Sam who nodded and tucked his gun into his pants before he moved swiftly to the injured woman's side.

"She's in a lawn service truck…Ryan helped har fit ou; a trailer ta brin' tha babby back here befer she ca' ge' har outta here an' back ta Ireland."

"Dammit…Mike…"

"I know Sam," Michael hissed, his heart hammering inside his chest. Turning back to Katherine he surged towards her and grabbed hold of her shoulders, keeping his gun in his hand. "How many men has she got with her?"

"She has me husban' Ryan an' some flella she brough' over wit' har…Bobby O'Neil."

"O'Neil?" Sam asked, his voice hissing through his lips. "Any relation to Thomas O'Neil?"

Shaking her head, Katherine's eyes filled with tears when she didn't know the answer. "I don' know…bu' ya have ta stop har."

"I intend to," Michael growled out as he turned away from her and raced back towards the Charger but her cry stopped him and he turned back to look at her in frustration.

"Le' me come wit' ya…" she rushed towards them and climbed into the back of the car before either of them could protest. Looking up from her seat she shook her head and yelled out. "HURRY UP WILL YA."

Sam and Michael exchanged glances before they both climbed into the charger with their unwelcome guest as Michael started the car and sped back out onto Griffin road.

000

Fiona's heart was hammering inside her chest when she tried to rationalise all of the things her mind was telling her. All Fiona wanted was for them to live a normal life, whatever normal was for them now. She also knew that a normal family life was something that they would never be able to experience…but it didn't stop her for longing for it anyway.

Lowering the phone Fiona sighed heavily before she placed it onto the table, her eyes lingering over the blank screen. Something wasn't right, she could feel it. Reaching for the phone again she picked it up and saw the no service message plastered all over the screen, propelling her suspicions into overdrive.

Her eyes flared with suspicion when she looked towards the windows and tried not to let Madeline or her daughter see how she anxiously looked around her to make sure all of the locks were secured. Moving towards the glass in the kitchen she lowered the blinds and closed them to shut out the sunlight before she walked into the family room to repeat the process.

"Mammy, wha' are ya doin'? It's no' bed time yet."

Glancing back towards her daughter she felt her heart lurch slightly when she tried not to think of how she could possibly live without her again. Shaking her head she pushed a smile to her lips and turned the lock on the back of the main door, listening for the click that indicated it was locked tight.

"I know baby," she told her, keeping her voice soft as she spoke. "I…just…I've got a headache…it's too bright in here."

"Do ya wan' me ta close tha other blinds fer ya?" Caitlin asked quickly, the concern in her voice bringing a sheen of tears to Fiona's eyes.

"No, it's okay baby…you stay with nana and read to Meaghan, I'll be alright."

Fiona could feel Madeline's eyes upon her but she moved along the house to close all the blinds anyway. There was something nagging at her in the back of her mind…something felt off here but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

When she walked into Caitlin's bedroom she moved towards her pink blind and was in the process of lowering it when she saw something that caused every hair on her neck to stand on end. It was Wednesday and she knew for a fact that the lawn service wasn't due around for another week since there were several neighbours who had cancelled the service the same time that she had, so why were they parked outside?

Her senses were on high alert as she surveyed the truck that was parked opposite the house. So far she couldn't see anyone near the house or the sounds that usually accompanied the lawn service. Everything just seemed silent. Lifting her hands up to the blind she slowly began to lower it when something caught her eye to send every one of her fears into overdrive…Marie was here…

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and Pm'd. Also thank you for all of the favourite author and story adds. I really do appreciate all of your comments.**

**Huge thanks to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for reading through this for me and for making me smile every single day.**

11

Fiona jumped back from the window and gasped in a shaky breath. Her heart hammered inside her chest and the headache she'd had only moments ago dispersed in the wake of dread that rampaged around her. She clamped her eyes closed for a few seconds while she tried to think of what she was going to do next…

Stepping backwards she practically ran out of Cailtin's room to make her way into the bedroom that she shared with Michael. Her eyes flittered around the room, a plan already formulating inside her mind as she rushed to the larger closet to yank the door open to peer inside. Reaching up to the highest shelf she lifted a large trunk down and placed it onto the bed before she lifted the lid to look down at the arsenal of weapons inside the box.

She knew there were enough weapons in the box to take down a small army; the only problem was that she was the only shooter. She was in the process of rifling through the various guns when she heard the front door open and every rational thought disappeared when she heard Madeline's voice greeting someone at the door.

Acting on instinct she grabbed her SIG from her bag that was hanging in the closet and flew out of the room as fast as she could, screaming Caitlin's name at the top of her lungs. Her voice startled her daughter who was standing beside her grandmother looking terrified as she clung to Madeline's leg. Fiona sped into the room and stopped dead in her tracks when she came face to face with Barry.

"Fiona," he gasped and held his hands in the air looking just as terrified as Caitlin. "What the hell's going on? I got a call from Mike to get over here and when I do you point a gun in my face?"

Swallowing hard Fiona lowered her gun and pushed passed him to get to the door, locking it tight before she moved towards the window to hold the blind back a little so that she could see through the tiny gap.

"Did you see the lawn service out there?" She asked in a voice that shook when she tried to get her words out. "BARRY!"

Lowering his hands Barry nodded in confusion as he glanced back to Madeline who was just as much in the dark as he was. "Yeah…some truck with a trailer…"

"Did you see a woman out there?" she asked in a hiss, her eyes filling with fire as she spoke. "_Barry_?"

"Yeah…Yeah, I did…she was with two guys…" he told her as he shook his head, still trying to fathom what was wrong. "Fi—"

Fiona's eyes suddenly glazed over when she met her little girl's terrified stare. Moving forward she placed her gun on a high shelf beside the door before she turned and reached down to tug her daughter into her arms.

"I'm sorry baby," she whispered shakily when the tears tumbled down her cheeks. "I didn't mean to scare you…I'm so sorry."

Madeline looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms before her eyes dropped to Fiona and Caitlin. She caught the younger woman's gaze and she lowered the baby towards Fiona when she sat down onto the floor taking both of her daughter's with her.

"Madeline, I need you to take Barry and the girls into the bathroom in my room and stay out of sight—"

"Mammy…" Caitlin's eyes filled with terrified tears when she clung to her and wouldn't let go. "I don' want ta stay wit' nana…"

"It's for a little while baby…" Fiona whispered as she slowly manoeuvred Meaghan so that she could kneel up to Caitlin's height. "I know you're scared but I need to keep you safe and until daddy gets back I want you to stay with nana and Barry…okay?"

"Is daddy comin' home?" Caitlin asked, her bottom lip trembling as she wrapped her arms around her mother. "I want him ta come home."

"He's coming as fast as he can baby," Fiona told her, pulling her tighter against her. "But I need you to go with nana and stay in the bathroom in my room until I tell you it's safe to come out, okay?"

Caitlin held Fiona tighter and rested her wet cheek against hers; nodding her head even though she didn't know what was going on.

"Good girl," Fiona told her with a tearful smile. "I want you to go into your room with Barry and get some books but stay away from the window okay."

"Okay…" turning her head towards Barry, Caitlin regarded him warily until he broke out into a smile.

"Well now little lady," he grinned as he stepped forward to hold out his hand. "How about you show me where you keep all of your books and I'll help you carry them."

Clinging to her mother, Caitlin turned to look at her and lifted herself upwards when she smiled reassuringly and nodded her head.

"Do ya want me ta get some toys fer Meaghan too?"

Fiona swiped at a tear that slipped down her cheek when she gazed down at the sleeping baby in her arms. Her girls didn't deserve this life, not when all she wanted to do was allow them to live normally. Lifting her eyes back up to her eldest daughter she reached forward and pressed a kiss onto her forehead and closed her eyes briefly before she nodded.

"You stay out of sight baby," she told her firmly. "Promise me."

"I'll stay with Barry," Caitlin nodded before she reached up to take hold of Barry's hand and led him towards her room.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Fiona got to her feet and kissed the child in her arms before she reluctantly handed her over to Madeline. As soon as she saw that Meaghan hadn't woken up, Fiona turned back towards the shelf and grabbed her gun, holding it out to Madeline who was looking her in confusion.

"Take this," she told her quietly, keep it with you and if anyone comes through that door who isn't me, Michael or Sam I want you to shoot them."

"Honey, I don't want to take a gun anywhere near my grandbabies," Madeline told her, shaking her head adamantly. "Now why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on."

"Madeline we don't have time for this," Fiona hissed as she moved towards the windows to peek through the blinds. "Marie is out there…she's coming to take my daughter and I _won't_ let her."

Sudden awareness sparked in Madeline's eyes and she looked towards the doors before she clutched Meaghan tighter against her. Nodding her head she took a step closer and took the gun from Fiona's hand and moved towards the couch to drop it into her bag before she lifted the strap over her shoulder.

"I'll do it, but keep Barry out here with you…at least until Michael gets here."

"_Barry?"_ Fiona scoffed, "are you seriously suggesting I—"

"He can at least look out for you," Madeline told her, lowering her voice when Meaghan mewed in her sleep. "It's one more pair of eyes."

Fiona glanced behind her when Barry came back into the room with a pile of books tucked under his arm, trailing Caitlin behind him. She could see her daughter's worried eyes and something inside her broke apart to bring a sting of emotion to her eyes.

"Okay," she nodded, blinking defiantly. "Caitlin, I want you to stay with nana and Meaghan. Don't come out for anything, baby…promise me."

Caitlin moved towards her mother and wrapped one arm around her legs before she nodded her head, still in a state of confusion. Taking a deep breath, Fiona tried to calm her raging heartbeat when she threaded her fingers through Caitlin's hair. She knew her daughter was afraid and most of that was due to Marie, but she had to hold some of the blame too. Moving back slightly she lowered herself downward so that she was on her knees. Leaning forward she pressed a kiss onto Caitlin's cheek and wrapped her arms around her.

"Aunt Marie is outside and she wants to take you from us," she told her, keeping her voice low as she spoke. Caitlin gasped and pulled away from her, shaking her head from side to side.

"I don't want ta go wit' har—"

"You're not going anywhere baby," Fiona told her reassuringly. "That's why I want you to go with nana and stay out of sight. I don't want you to hear the things I'm going to say to her."

Realisations dawned in Caitlin's eyes and a slow smile crept over her lips. "Are ya goin' ta swear?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation Fiona was relieved to hear her daughter's innocent question and for a moment she took solace in the fact that soon this would all be like one big adventure for her. Placing a kiss onto Caitlin's forehead she smiled against her and nodded when she pulled away.

"I think there will be a _lot_ of swearing baby," she told her softly. "And I don't want you to hear any of it."

Pulling away from Fiona Caitlin smiled up at her mother and held her arms open to take a hold of the pile of books that Barry carefully placed in her arms.

"Are you sure you're okay with those?" Barry asked her when her arms became laden. "Let me take some for you."

Shaking her head adamantly Cailtin smiled up at him and clutched the books tighter. "I can do it."

"Well then sweetheart," Madeline told her softly, hoping she could keep the worry from her voice. "Let's get out of sight so your mom can deal with all of this."

"Okay," she nodded as she turned to look back towards Fiona and grinned. "Come on nana, I'll show ya where it is."

"I'm coming honey," she called before she turned back to Fiona. "Don't get yourself hurt okay, these girls need you."

"I won't," Fiona promised softly when she watched her mother in law taking her precious daughter's away from her.

"Okay," Barry's voice brought her attention back to him and she mentally shook herself when he stared at her wide eyes. "What are we doing here exactly?"

Within seconds Fiona's eyes returned to the windows before she cast him a look that was between desperate and deadly serious. "I need you to be alert Barry…some bitch is trying to steal my baby and I'm going to stop her."

Barry's mouth opened and closed as he tried to formulate some kind of reply but no words would come out. He watched in a daze when Fiona turned away from him and sped out of the family room before he could even utter a word. There were sounds coming from the bedroom but he couldn't move, fear of both the situation and the psychotic little Irish woman who came charging back out from the way she came only moments later.

Dropping a heavy box by his feet she bent down to pull a Sig 556 out and shoved it towards him, glaring at him impatiently when he looked at the gun in her hands.

"Take it. It's loaded so try not to shoot _yourself _okay!"

Reaching out to take the gun from her hands he regarded her worriedly before she turned away from him to delve inside the box once more, ignoring his rambling questions as she pulled a rifle out and loaded it right before his eyes.

When she turned back around she nodded towards him and motioned him to move towards the kitchen and wait there while she checked the rest of the house. He watched her leave and silently wished he'd have listened to himself when he'd told himself that coming back to Miami was a bad idea…

000

By the time Michael and Sam arrived back at the house they could already see that the lawn service truck was parked right across the front of the house, cleverly concealing the view from any of the neighbouring houses.

"Okay," Sam sighed when he lifted his gun in his hand. "What's the plan brother? How do you want to play this?"

Michael stared across to the house where his family were trapped in and tried to think of how they were going to get inside. He knew by now that Fiona would have realised something was wrong and would no doubt have the arsenal of weapons ready beside her. He tried to formulate some kind of plan in his mind when Sam's voice broke into his thoughts.

"We could go in through the garage…all you need to do is open it just enough for us to get through."

"The garage makes too much noise," Michael theorised. "If Fiona thinks it's them coming through the door she'll shoot us before we get inside…no, I have another idea."

"Yeah?" Sam asked him waiting for him to advise him on the plan when the woman in the back seat gasped and pointed towards the back of the truck.

"There's me husban'," she gasped, pointing towards the man who emerged from the side of the truck looking every bit as distressed as his wife was. "Tha's Ryan."

Michael sat up further in his seat and narrowed his eyes when another man appeared to come up behind Katherine's husband to grab hold of his arm, yanking him back behind the truck.

"They're goin' ta kill him," Katherine muttered, her voice rising with hysteria as she looked for a way to get out of the car. "Ya have ta le' me ou'."

"Calm down," Sam hissed when he turned his head to glare at the woman seated behind him. "We'll get him outta there but ya have to—"

"They have me husban'," she snapped back. "I have ta—"

"THEY HAVE MY DAUGHTER'S…" Michael's voice boomed when he half turned in his seat to glower at the woman behind him. With the murderous look in his eyes she shrank back in her seat and bit her lip. "NOW…if you let us do our job you'll get your husband back but you have to help us by being _QUIET!"_

Katherine nodded her head and looked out of the window, blinking hard when Michael snatched his eyes away from her to return to the truck parked outside his house.

"If we can get around to the garage I can get in through the skylight," Michael spoke aloud, speaking more to himself that anyone else. "We need some kind of distraction…"

Sam regarded his friend thoughtfully before he gaged the size of the skylight in the roof. Sure Michael could get onto the roof but the window was far too small for him to fit through. Turning to the woman in the back seat he tapped Michael's arm and pointed to the garage.

"We should send her up. She can climb through that gap easier than you can. Marie and O'Neil won't be expecting to see her here."

"Neither will Fi, Sam," Michael sighed. "But you're right…if they're only looking for us—"

"Wait, wha' are tha two a ya goin' on abou'?" Katherine asked, her mouth agape. "Ya no' be havin' me climin' no walls…I ain't such a youngun anymore ya know."

"It's the only way we're going to save Mike's girls and ya husband," Sam told her, irritation seeping into his words. "Now, are you in or are we going to have to lock you in the car?"

Katherine sighed and glanced back towards the garage roof and back to the lawn service truck before she sat forward.

"Okay, I'll do it bu' ya have ta keep Ryan safe. Marie's crazy…she can' see past tha babby."

"We'll keep him safe but that all depends if you get inside and convince Fiona you're not there to steal our daughter," Michael told her, his eyes deadly serious.

"I'll find a way," Katherine nodded. "I woul' never le' any woman take a child."

"Okay then…" reaching into his pocket he pulled out a folded piece of paper that Caitlin had drawn on for him the day before and handed it to her. "When you get inside give this to Fiona, she'll know you're with us."

"An' wha' do ya wan' me ta say ta har?"

"Tell her Marie wants Meaghan," he told her, his voice catching when he spoke his youngest daughter's name. Reaching for his keys he unclasped one from the key fob and passed it to her. "This is for the adjoining door from the garage into the house."

"Okay, an' wha' do ya wan' me ta do if yer missus comes at me wit' a gun in har hand?"

Before Michael could utter a word, Sam leaned across the seat and offered her a lopsided grin as he muttered one single word. "Pray…"

Katherine's mouth opened and closed as she looked down at the items in her hand. She had been thrust into this bizarre twist of events the moment Marie turned up on her front step and now she was wishing that she should have just turned her away. Giving herself a mental shake she focused on the task at hand…a little girl needed her to do this, and she wasn't about to let her crazy cousin steal someone's child.

"Okay, le's ge' movin'," she nodded before she had a chance to talk herself out of it. "I ain' getting' any younger."

000

Inside the house Fiona had gone from one end to the other checking every possible entrance as she moved. Barry watched on nervously when she prowled the floor like a caged tiger, her finger poised on the trigger of the gun in her hand.

Sudden movement outside caused her to walk towards the centre of the room, her arms outstretched as she moved. Taking a slow step she eased a strip of the blinds apart just enough to catch a glimpse of movement outside. Swallowing hard, her finger tightened on the trigger and then suddenly all hell broke loose at once.

Sam's voice could be heard outside and she was filled with some sense of relief until the adjoining door to the garage opened and Barry yelled at the intruder who stepped through. Turning sharply Fiona moved towards them and pointed the gun at the woman who instantly threw her hands in the air.

"Don' shoot," she gasped. "I ain' here ta take yer babby."

Fiona's moved closer, her eyes unblinking when she calmly told Barry to move away as she surged forward with a speed that caught both Barry and Katherine by surprise. Grabbing hold of Katherine's arm she yanked her away from the door and ordered Barry to shoot her if she moved before she cautiously looked through into the garage to see if anyone else was hiding in there. Finding no one she pulled the door closed and made a grab for her keys as she relocked the door.

"How the HELL did you get in here?" she growled, the gun unwavering at Katherine's head. "Are you with _her_?"

"No, I ain' wit' tha' crazy cousin a mine, I swear ta ya," Katherine told her breathlessly. "Yer hubby sent me, he told me ta give ya somethin'…he said yer'd know tha' he sent me cos a tha picture yer babby drew fer him…an' he gave me tha key ta tha' door over thare."

Fiona watched suspiciously when Katherine slowly lowered her hand to reach into her back pocket to pull out the folded piece of paper that Michael had given her. She met Fiona's fierce gaze and handed it to Barry along with the silver key that Michael had thrust at her.

Barry took them from her and watched her cautiously for any signs that she had a hidden weapon but when she stepped back and held her hands up in surrender he swallowed nervously.

"I don't think she's here to steal Caitlin, Fi—"

"I'll decide that," Fiona snapped, her voice slicing through his when she took the paper and key from his hands.

"Caitlin?" Katherine asked in confusion. "Marie didn' say anythin' abou' Caitlin."

Fiona only half listened when she unfolded the paper in her hand to reveal the familiar picture that Caitlin had drawn for Michael when she was having breakfast the day before. Her eyes clouded over and she gasped in a breath when she realised that Michael would never have given this to anyone unless…

"How do I know you didn't just take this?" she asked as she raised her gun again, pointing it at the woman opposite her.

Katherine raised her hands again and glanced at the spikey haired man beside her who was looking just as concerned as she was. Her mind swirled in images that caused her heart to race inside her chest and she shook her head when Katherine's words from only a few moments ago registered inside her brain.

"What do you mean she didn't mention Caitlin?" she asked angrily, her hand poised and unwavering when she cast Katherine with a scrutinising stare. "She's here for my daughter."

"She's here fer tha babby…"

"Yes MY baby," Fiona growled. "Caitlin."

Katherine shook her head and blinked hard before she took a deep breath. She knew that Marie was insane. Ever since she had arrived she had talked about nothing else but the child she was going to take home and up until a few hours ago she hadn't even known the little girl's name.

"I hate ta be tha one ta tell ya bu' she wants ya little one, tha babby…" she tried to reach into her memories to remember the name that Michael had spoken with the same amount of fear that was already present in Fiona's eyes. Within moments the name burst into her mind and it slipped from her tongue in a burst of words. "She wan's Meaghan."

Both Barry and Katherine watched as the colour slowly drained from Fiona's face and her eyes flittered towards the back of the room. Shaking her head from side to side she pointed the gun at Katherine, her eyes filling as she moved closer.

"You're lying."

"I promise ya I ain' lyin'…she brough' someone wit' har an' yer hubby knew who it wa'…I woul' never help ta take a babby away from har mammy." Lowering her hands again Katherine shook her head emphatically as she continued, her voice shaking as she spoke. "Bobby O'Neil, yer man said he knew someone who coul' be related ta him."

"Thomas O'Neil?" Fiona asked in disbelief as she lowered her gun.

"Aye, yer man sai' tha same name…if he's anythin' like tha man she turned up wit' he'll be a righ' bastard..am I righ'?"

"You don't know how right you are," Fiona nodded. Looking down at the picture again she gave herself a mental shake and refolded it to place it onto the table before she moved towards the windows. A sudden thud sounded when something landed against the door followed by a string of obscenities. Moving back from the window Fiona backed up and pointed her gun at the door and the window, her heart beat drowning out any other sound in the room.

"Uh…Fi," Barry asked cautiously when he turned to face her and pointed his own gun towards the window. "There's someone unlocking the door."

Fiona's eyes flared wildly and she moved across to the stash of guns she had brought in with her and picked out another one so that she had one in each hand. Her heartbeat thumped in her ears along with the rush of adrenalin that raced through her body. Whoever was here to take her child she would kill them regardless if it was Marie or not.

Katherine moved quickly, walking to stand behind Barry as she grasped onto his shirt nervously. She could see the sweat droplets forming on his forehead and she had to admit to herself that she was terrified of what was going on.

Everything happened so fast…

Michael's voice yelled out amid the door flying open. Barry squeezed his trigger and a loud booming sound filled the air along with the acrid smell that lingered around them. In the seconds it took for Fiona to realise that it was Michael who'd opened the door she screamed out a warning but it was too late.

The bullet had already hit its target…

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews and PM's and also for the favourite author and story adds. I really do appreciate all of your comments.**

**Huge thanks also to my very special friends, Purdy's Pal and Jedi Skysinger for reading through this chapter for me, and to DaisyDay for making me smile every day**

12

Staring at the slumped figure that had fallen in between the door and theoor and t threshold, Barry swallowed nervously when he glanced towards Fiona. Everything around him became muffled when the flurry of movement beside him caused his heartbeat to thump in his ear. He knew this was bad, really _really_ bad. He was the one who'd shot Michael and when Fiona finally got over her shock, he was going to be in serious trouble.

Looking nervously at the stunned woman beside him he thought about yelling his apologies to her but when Michael began to move and pull himself into the sitting position he thought better of it. A child's frantic screams sounded from down the hall followed by very loud wails and he felt his throat constrict with fear when he realised what he had done. Everything had happened so fast…he hadn't meant to pull the trigger…

Fiona screamed Michael's name, dropping one of the guns she was holding onto the floor as she grabbed hold of his body. He was breathing in a ragged breath, pain littered all over his face but he was trying to help her by slowly getting to his feet when she pulled him inside and kicked the door closed.

"Michael," she hissed his name as she steered him towards a chair, barking orders at Barry and Katherine to keep him upright. She was running on pure adrenalin when her full IRA training kicked in. Holding her arms outstretched, she aimed the gun and she surged forward towards the closed door, ready to shoot anyone who tried to come inside but when no one came she backed up and locked it up.

Meaghan's wails could be heard throughout the house and she found herself torn. All she wanted to do was rush into her room, grab her daughters and Michael and hold them all so tightly until all of this just disappeared. Tears burned her eyes and she looked back towards her bedroom and felt her heart ache with longing when all she couldn't block out her daughter's distressing cries.

"Michael," her voice was wavering, caught between agitation and fear. She was fighting her instincts to take as much ammunition and C-4 as she could to find Marie and blow her into smithereens, but when Meaghan's wails reached into her once again, she pushed those thoughts of the old her, away. Moving towards Michael she placed her gun on the table and regarded him for a few seconds before her love took over.

"Fi…" he spoke her name and watched her as she batted his hands away to rip his shirt open, ignoring the button's flying off in all different directions. His eyes met hers, trying to offer her a reassuring smile but he wasn't so sure she believed him. "I'm okay. It's just a scratch."

Fiona's gaze drifted over his body to see a plume of blood blossoming over the edge of the shirt, covering the remaining material that hung on his body. Her breath hitched in her throat as she watched it spread, her thoughts scrambling inside her tired mind. She had to treat this like every other time he'd come back to her with an injury, and she had to push her fury away just like every other time.

"I need to patch you up," she told him, congratulating herself on keeping her trembling hands under control. She lowered her voice, keeping herself calm but her words seethed out anyway when she turned her head to burn a ferocious glare onto the man who had pulled the trigger. "I'll deal with _you_ later."

Barry gasped in a breath and took an involuntary step backwards even after she had turned her attention back to the man on the chair. His eyes met Katherine who shrugged her shoulders, she too not quite sure what to say when Fiona tore passed them to slam cupboard doors so hard that they rocked on their hinges.

When she returned to the family room she had a thunderous look in her eyes, one that Michael had seen on many other occasions, mostly directed towards him. He could see she was as terrified as he was but he knew from experience that Fiona dealt with terror by blowing things up, and he couldn't let her go on like this. When she came to stand before him he seized the opportunity and caught hold of her hand before she could move backwards. She was trying to act like this didn't matter, just like she always did when she was under so much stress. He knew everything about this whole thing had impacted all of them really deeply, but up until this moment he hadn't realised just how much.

"I'm okay."

"Nothing about this whole damn thing is okay," she hissed as she shook off his hand to begin her angry pacing backwards and forwards. "Our baby is crying for us and I… I don't know what else to do…oh god, Michael—"

"Hey," shifting closer he caught her hand again and laced their fingers together. His wound was seeping blood over his shirt but he ignored the pain to hold onto her. "Fi look at me."

Meaghan's cries were becoming louder and Michael clung to Fiona's hand, knowing that hearing their daughter's cries impacted both of them in a way that neither could have ever thought possible. He wanted to go to her, to hold his little girl in his arms and promise her that everything would be okay but how could he do that when the woman he loved was falling apart before him.

"Fi, it's going to be—"

"_Okay?_ You keep saying _that_," she seethed when she turned back around to face him. "Our babies are with your mother hiding out in our bathroom," she growled angrily, pulling her hand away from his. "You're bleeding, my mother's dying and we're never going to be free from Marie…so how is this okay?"

Michael tried to think of something to say that would ease the tension in both of them but he didn't think he could. He knew she was right, but he wasn't going to give up the life they had made for themselves because some crazy woman had set her sights on his family. Tightening his hold he shook his head and stood up, defying the dizziness that overtook his body to focus only on her.

"Go to the girls, I can patch myself up," he told her. "Marie's not out there anymore…all this will soon be over."

Fiona blinked heavily and tried to focus on what he was saying but she wouldn't let herself believe his words. He was lying just to placate her, just like he always did when she became too focused on one thing.

"Let me help," Katherine spoke at last when she saw the woman who had been holding a gun on her just a short time ago transform before her eyes. "Go ta yer babby."

"I can't," shaking her head Fiona swiped angrily at her eyes and drew in a ragged breath. "She's still out there…"

"Fi—"

Michael's voice didn't register when she suddenly realised that they were missing a person and she gasped in a breath when dread filled her eyes. "Sam…where is he?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you…Sam and I had some help out there," he told her as he kept hold of her hand. Glancing towards Barry's ashen face he nodded in greeting before he caught Katherine's worried eyes. "Your husband's fine, he and Sam have Marie and O'Neil...we couldn't have got them without your help."

"What? Wait…" shaking her head in confusion, Fiona looked from Katherine to Michael and tried to fathom what was going on. This whole thing was a mess with her two little girls caught up in the middle and all she seemed to be able to do was become more furious with every second.

Michael started to ease himself out of his shirt when warm blood caused the material to stick to his skin. All the while he watched Fiona's eyes become a myriad of emotions and he knew by experience that she was going to explode any moment if he didn't start explaining soon.

He pulled the shirt from his arm and winced a little when he peeled it away from the small wound in his shoulder.

"Oh man I'm sorry," Barry whined when he tried to look away from the injury he'd caused. "I didn't think…I just saw the door and—"

"It's okay," Michael told him as he kept his gaze focused upon the woman who had murder in her eyes.

"So where are they?" Fiona asked dully when her eyes once again dropped to his shoulder. "We need to clean you up before Caitlin sees you."

"I'll do tha' fer ya," Katherine told them, her enthusiasm bringing Fiona's eyes onto hers. "I tend ta me horses all tha time."

"Uh…last time I looked Mike wasn't—" Barry started to say but clamped his mouth shut when Fiona glared at him, fire burning in her eyes.

"They're both in the trailer," Michael spoke quickly, bringing Fiona's attention back to him. "Sam and Ryan are taking them to my mom's garage…I didn't think either of us would want them anywhere near the girls."

Nodding her head she watched him for a few seconds before she suddenly launched herself towards him, wrapping her arms around his body, taking solace from his closeness. Closing her eyes tightly she breathed in his scent before she pulled backwards and held a hand up to his cheek.

"We should patch you up first," she told him as she withdrew her hand to turn around to face Katherine. "Barry can bring you the medical supplies while I get rid of these guns and grab the girls."

"Aye," Katherine smiled. "Ya go an' see ta yer babbie's, while me an' Barry here take care a yer man."

"Come with me to get the bandages…" Fiona nodded towards Barry but she kept her eyes firmly on the woman who was tending to Michael's wound.

Barry nodded numbly, his mouth opening and closing as he watched her make a grab for the chest of guns she'd brought in with her. Following blindly he cautiously followed her towards what was obviously hers and Michael's bedroom and peered inside. He was surprised by the décor and how feminine it was.

"So," he mused, trying to make conversation to ease his own conscience. "Is Mike okay with all of this?"

Shoving the trunk back onto the shelf in the closet Fiona answered him with a glare before she moved towards the small bathroom.

"Madeline, it's me," she called through the wooden barrier. "I'm opening the door."

The second she opened the bathroom door her eldest daughter was in her arms, clinging to her like she was her lifeline and it only took her a second to sink to her knees to engulf her in her arms, holding her tightly against her.

"Barry," she gasped out a breath when she managed to loosen the limpet like grip her daughter had over her just enough to point towards the wicker drawers near to where Madeline was sitting. "The medical supplies are in there."

"Okay," he nodded, smiling awkwardly when he moved inside to where Madeline was trying to soothe Meaghan. Moving passed her he chuckled nervously and made a grab for the drawer to pull out the square medical kit.

"Why do you need that?" Madeline asked in a hiss as she lifted Meaghan onto her shoulder and patted her back to try and soothe her. "Did something happen?"

"Uh…just a scratch…that's all…Mike'll be just fine."

"Michael's hurt?" Madeline's voice rose a little higher and she slowly stood up, her whine causing Meaghan to cry harder.

"He's okay Madeline," Fiona told her as she carefully unclasped Caitlin's arms from around her to hold onto her hands.

"I want ta see daddy…" Caitlin wailed, big tears dropping from her eyes. "I want daddddddy…"

Closing her eyes briefly, Fiona took a deep breath before she opened them again and motioned for Barry to get out of the bedroom to get the medical kit back to Katherine. As soon as he turned tail and ran she held out her arms for Meaghan and clasped her against her, her own tears falling as she let the helplessness of this whole mess seep out of her.

Madeline swallowed hard, her own emotions brimming when she saw one of the strongest women she'd ever know crumble before her eyes. She needed to do something, anything that could help soothe the pain that Fiona was going through but she knew there wasn't anything she could do. Picking up her bag from the floor she stepped out of the room, looking back one last time before she reluctantly turned away.

Fiona shifted and sat onto the bed, easing herself and her two girls backwards until they could all settle down onto it. Manoeuvring Meaghan against her breast, she gazed down at her when she started to suckle, the sobbing from only moment ago dying away. Bending to kiss her head she turned to Caitlin who was still sniffing and huddled into her side.

"It's going to be okay now baby," she whispered softly, "daddy will be in to see us any time now, okay."

"Is…aun' Marie…gone?" Caitlin asked in between the shudders in her voice. "I don' want ta see har…"

"She's gone baby, you never have to see her again," but even as she spoke the words Fiona knew she was making a promise that she couldn't possibly keep. She had no idea what was going to happen now.

Caitlin looked up at her mother and nodded before she released her grip and laid down onto the pillow where Michael always slept and stroked her baby sister's hand.

"I don' want ya ta ever go away mammy," she whispered. "I want ta stay wit' ya forever."

"I'll never leave you baby," Fiona told her in a whisper. "I promise you I'll never leave you or your sister again."

"Are ya goin' ta stay at me school?" Caitlin asked with a smile, the brightness in her eyes lifting the Fiona's heart with hope. After everything she had been through, her brave little girl always found a smile.

Wrapping her arm around Caitlin, Fiona pulled her tighter into her side and returned her bright smile. There was still hope that somewhere out of this whole mess that they could build their family into a secure environment and not just live on love alone. Pressing a kiss onto Caitlin's head she allowed her lips to linger over her skin before she pulled back again.

"When you go back to school I have to stay at home to take care of Meaghan."

"Can Meaghan come ta school wit' me?"

"No baby," Fiona chuckled, finding her daughter's innocence endearing. "Not until she'd a lot older."

"She needs ta eat like me befer she goes ta school," Caitlin smiled when she lifted her hand up to stroke her baby sister's foot. "Can I help ya ta feed har when she eats food?"

Meaghan pushed away from Fiona and opened her eyes to look up at her mother. Fiona smiled adoringly down at the baby in her arms and was grateful that she wouldn't ever remember this nightmare when it was all over. Sitting her up she rubbed her back and tried not to succumb to the welling fears that were causing her eyes to water. Swallowing the lump in her throat she nodded and smiled down at Caitlin, hoping that her daughter didn't understand how scared she actually was.

Meaghan beamed a smile at her sister and made a grab for her hand, curling her fingers around hers. Caitlin shuffled closer and tickled Meaghan stomach, smiling when she was rewarded with a delighted squeal.

"Ya have ta let me go," she laughed when Meaghan tightened her hold. "I need ta go ta tha bathroom."

Despite knowing that they were in their own home Fiona shifted slightly so that she could climb off of the bed with Meaghan in her arms, the movement breaking the hold the baby had on her sister's fingers.

"I'll come with you," Fiona told her as she looked at Caitlin expectantly. "When you're done we'll go and change Meaghan's diaper okay?"

Caitlin looked up at her mother in confusion; she'd been going to the bathroom on her own for a long time. Shrugging her shoulders she clambered off of the bed and moved towards the bathroom that still had her books inside but stopped when she remembered why she had been in there.

"It's okay baby," Fiona urged, "I'll be right here."

Fiona watched her daughter as she turned away from her to walk inside the small bathroom to pull the door ajar behind her. She knew she was being irrational but she just couldn't bear to go through it all again. She didn't want to feel the same fear that had ripped through her only a short time ago. All she wanted was to keep Michael and their daughter's safe from the outside world…she just wanted this whole nightmare to be over.

000

Barry winced uncomfortably when Katherine dug around in Michael's shoulder to pull out the small bullet with tweezers and dropped it into the tray that he was begrudgingly holding.

"I'm almost done," Katherine smiled as she patted Michael on the shoulder causing him to groan when the pain shot through him. "It's only a flesh woun', do ya have ta be such a babby!"

When she stepped away Michael released the breath he'd been holding and tried to prepare himself for what he knew was coming next. He knew that even when Fiona was mad at him she still had a more gentler touch that the woman who was now looming over him with a needle in between her fingers.

"_DAMMIT…"_ he hissed when she inserted the needle into his skin and pulled his flesh together, closing the wound with every suture.

"So, how di' me fella do?" she asked with a smile when she withdrew the needle for the last time and placed a large square plaster over the puckered wound. "Wha' happened ou' thare?"

"Yeah Mike," Barry urged. "What happened?"

Sitting flat against the back of the chair Michael slowly slipped his bloodied shirt back over his body, wincing when he moved his arm. Letting out a breath he slowly looked up at Katherine when she dried her hands on a towel before she started to repack any unused items inside the medical box.

"After Sam helped you up to the roof, I caught up with Ryan when Marie and O'Neil were trying to lift the windows."

"An' he helped ya?" she asked with a proud smile. "Me Ryan?"

"Yeah he did," Michal nodded. "We only had a few seconds but he distracted them enough for Sam and Me to come at them from both sides…"

"An' ya tied 'em up good?" Katherine asked worriedly. "Marie is a strange one bu' the fella she ha' wit' har ha' nothing' bu' evil in hi' eyes."

"Yeah, we did…well your husband did. He took O'Neil out before we could confront him. I don't know where he learned how to fight but—"

"Aye he's no' usually violent bu' when Marie came ta us wit' O'Neil an' pulled a gun on us he ha' ta go alon' wit' it…he didn' wan' ta go wit' either a tham."

"Yeah he had O'Neil unconscious and in zipties when we got Marie in the trailer," Michael nodded. "Did you know she was pregnant?"

"Aye I di' an' I feel fer tha child." Lifting her eyes to his she sighed heavily and focused on the floor. "Wha' are ya goin' ta do wit' har?"

"Honestly?" Michael asked, shaking his head. "I have no idea. Patrick's on his way so…"

"Ya owe it ta yer wife ta make sure yer babby is safe…she needs ta be locked up fer wha' she tried ta do."

"Yeah, Mike," Barry chimed in. "She made Fiona cry. Anyone who can do that—"

"Yeah I get it Barry," Michael nodded, snapping his eyes away from the spikey haired man.

"Do you Michael?" Madeline's voice broke into the room causing all three people to turn to look at her.

"Mom—"

"You've stopped that woman this time but for how long?" she asked huffily before she pointed towards his shoulder before she reached out to touch him. "And you've been shot…again!"

"I told you it's fine mom," he insisted when he pushed her hands away. "Sam's taken Marie and O'Neil over to your house so—"

"My house?" Madeline asked in surprise. "Are you sure that's wise Michael. Last time they were here Fiona got shot."

"Mom…" sighing heavily he took her arm and led her by the elbow away from Katherine and Barry until they were far enough out of earshot. "After this is over, it's over for good."

"How can you be sure of that?" Madeline snapped. "That woman went after Caitlin without caring what damage she caused. She didn't even care that Fiona was pregnant."

"Mom—"

"No Michael, you need to hear this because Fiona won't tell you herself. She's terrified of losing those girls, and I don't know whether you've noticed but she isn't doing too well with all of this." Gesturing behind her she turned towards the vacant hall and the silence that was coming from the rooms. "Does that sound right to you?"

Her words hit him hard and he suddenly realised that she was right. Fiona had already been in an agitated state when she dragged Barry towards the bedroom with her, he'd just been so preoccupied with capturing Marie and O'Neil that he hadn't stopped to think.

"You're right," he nodded." Listen, mom, take Barry and Katherine over to your place and I'll be over as soon as I can."

"Michael you can't leave Fiona here alone," Madeline scolded. "She needs you."

"I know she does mom, but I have to be there when Patrick arrives," he sighed. "She'll understand that—"

"Believe me Michael she won't understand this time…she acts tough but that's all it is, an act. She can't take much more of this."

"This will be the end mom, I promise. After this is over I'm going to make some changes starting with this," holding his left hand up he gestured towards the gold ring that encircled his wedding finger and swallowed the ball of emotion that had stuck in his throat. "I'm going to make it official, we're not pretending anymore."

Madeline's eyes filled with understanding and she smiled at the sincerity in his gaze. Reaching up to his face she patted his cheek affectionately and just as quickly pulled her hand away.

"I'll take Barry and what's her name back to the house _but_ make things right here first," she warned. "You do whatever that girl wants okay…and if that means you stay here, _you _stay."

Turning away from him she reached into her bag and pulled out her car keys from the bottom along with her cigarette pouch. Barry opened his mouth to mention that smoking was bad for her but clamped it closed again when she glared at him defiantly. Placing a cigarette between her lips she delved for her lighter while she pulled open the door and rooted around in between the various items and looked over at Barry in exasperation.

Reaching up to the cigarette in her mouth she tore it from her mouth and shot the spiky haired man a glare when he just stood watching her with his mouth hanging open.

"Well don't just stand there…"

Closing his mouth Barry's eyes wandered towards the man who he'd shot and gestured towards his injured shoulder. "I'm sorry about the…" he tried to think of something else to say that would take the fierce glare of Madeline Westen away from him but he could feel her eyes burning into the side of his head.

Luckily for him Katherine stepped forward and tapped Barry on the shoulder, pushing him forward until they were closer to the door. Before she left she turned back around to face the man who she had patched up a short time ago and took a breath before she spoke, hoping that he and Fiona would find a way to forgive her part in Marie's disastrous plan.

"Yer a good man Michael," she told him with a half smile. "I'm sorry fer wha' Marie tried ta do…I woul' never have le' har take yer babby."

Holding up his hand Michael silenced her before she could say anything more. Right now all he wanted to do was check on Fiona and his daughters before he even thought about anything else. Nodding in understanding he returned her apologetic smile with a slight one of his own. He watched on silently when she pulled the door closed behind her and left him alone in the silence.

Turning towards the bedroom he made his way down the small hall and held his breath before he ventured into the room. He stopped in the doorway and felt his throat constrict when he saw the woman he loved laying on the bed beside his two little girls, watching both of them as they slept.

When she eventually lifted her gaze to his he gasped with the sorrow that was emanating from her eyes. He could see the tracks of dried tears that littered her face and the welling appearance of new ones that threatened to spill over.

Within seconds he moved into the room and made his way towards the bed, sitting on the edge so that he was behind her. Reaching out his arm he winced a little when the movement caused his shoulder to ache but he needed to touch her, if only to feel the warmth of her body beneath his fingers. He spread his fingertips wide and lowered himself a little closer so that he could drape his arm over her prone form only to feel a sob escape from her throat when he tightened his hold.

His shoulder throbbed and he closed his eyes against the stinging pain that coursed its way throughout his body. She needed him more than ever now, and it was then that he realised his mother had been right.

"It's okay," he whispered as he pressed a kiss against her ear. He could feel her body shaking and he knew that Marie would have to wait. He couldn't leave her like this and not just because his mother had been the one to point out to him that Fiona was not doing as well as he'd thought. Shifting his body he manoeuvred himself behind her and lay down with his uninjured shoulder pressed into the pillows while he draped his arm over her stomach and tried to ignore the pain that ignited when his wound pressed against her shoulder.

"I want it to stop…" she whispered, her voice shaking as she covered his hand with her own. "I can't do this anymore…"

Michael buried his face into her hair and nuzzled kisses into her silken strands, all the while whispering a mantra of words that ranged from _I love you_ to _it's over._ The more she shook the tighter he held her and soon the pain in his body didn't seem to register any longer.

"I promise you after this she'll be gone for good," he whispered, his lips kissing the curve of her ear. "I'll stop looking for answers and we'll take jobs again…"

"Don't make…promises you can't keep…" she answered as her fingers curled around his. "This is who you are…you need chaos…"

"I _need_ you," he told her, his voice raising a little when he clasped her hand tighter. "You, Caitlin and Meaghan, you're all I need…nothing else."

Fiona's body trembled when she turned her head back to meet his mouth, kissing him in an uncomfortable position but neither of them seemed to care. Lifting her hand she laid her palm over his cheek and relished the feel of his lips against hers. When he spoke of living a normal life she almost believed that they could actually succeed in doing just that.

"Daddy…" Caitlin's voice drew them apart and they both turned to look at their eldest daughter who sat up and leapt off of the bed to run around to his side.

Michael drew his arm from around Fiona's body and pushed himself upright until he was sitting on the edge of the mattress to gather his daughter up against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight only to pull away when he gasped in a painful breath. Her eyes dropped down to the red stain on his shirt and her eyes filled with overflowing tears before she wailed his name.

The noise woke Meaghan, startling her which only succeeded in a series of cries that only died down to whimpers when Fiona picked her up and held her tightly against her chest. Fiona watch helplessly as her eldest daughter couldn't seem to take her eyes off of her father's bloodied shirt and she suddenly realised that she too was spattered with some of his blood. She hadn't stopped to think about changing when she'd left Michael in the family room with Katherine, all she'd wanted to do was get to her girls.

"Caitlin, come and stay with me on the bed so daddy can change his shirt and then you can stay with him for as long as you want," she urged, her eyes lifting to Michael's face as she spoke. Swallowing heavily she knew she was already making a promise that Michael wouldn't be able to keep but she had to say something to appease their little girl.

Michael nodded as he reached out to wipe Caitlin's tears away with his thumbs, all the while smiling down at her reassuringly.

"We'll do whatever you want honey," he whispered softly when he bend to kiss her head before he stood up and removed his shirt.

"Anythin'?"

His eyes focused on his daughter, her large wet eyes sending a surge of love right through to his heart. Nodding his head he tossed the discarded shirt in the laundry hamper before he walked towards the closet to pull out a new one.

"Anything you want honey."

"I wan' ya ta stay," Caitlin told him as she climbed up onto the bed to settle against her mother while she watched him pull on a new shirt. "Don' go away again?"

Michael's gaze caught Fiona's before he shifted his eyes back to his little girl. How could he deny her anything when he knew he would give her the world? Closing the closet doors he began to fasten his buttons on the clean shirt as he moved closer to perch on the edge of the bed.

"I won't go away again honey," he promised. "I'll stay here with you, Meaghan and your mom."

"Ferever?" Caitlin asked hopefully as she kneeled up on the bed so that she could move towards him to wrap herself around him from behind.

"Yes," he promised, smiling towards the woman he loved as he spoke, knowing that this time he really meant it. "Forever…"

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for your reviews, PM's and favourite story and author adds. I appreciate each and every one of you who has taken the time to read my stories. Thank you so much.**

**Huge thanks as always to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for reading through this and for being such wonderful friends. Also special thanks to LeeLee and everyone on twitter for being such great friends**

13

Michael sat on the edge of the king sized bed and stroked Caitlin's hair. After what had seemed like hours she had finally exhausted herself and fallen into a deep sleep snuggled into his side. Lifting his eyes to the woman who was sitting on the opposite side of the mattress he tried to offer her a bright smile but he knew the second their eyes met that she was feeling anything but okay right now.

He knew Sam was waiting for him back at his mother's house but he didn't really know what to do. He couldn't split himself in half…he couldn't be an interrogator while trying to be a good husband and father at the same time. Sam could easily take care of things for him but he owed it to Fiona to make sure that Marie never bothered them again.

He was trying to think of what he could possibly say to her that could ease her troubled mind but before he could speak she shook her head and battled with the emotions filling her eyes.

"We'll have to find a new house," she told him shakily as she dropped her eyes down to the two little girls in between them. "Marie found us here even though we were so careful."

Shaking his head he tried to tell her that things were going to be different but she just wasn't registering what he was trying to tell her. Reaching across the gap he moved towards her shoulder, his fingertips barely touching her skin, but the touch was enough to bring her eyes up to his.

"She won't be back," he told her adamantly as edged a little closer. "Not this time."

"How can you be sure?" she asked as she shook her head. "We thought we were rid of her for good but she came back…I—"

"Patrick—"

"Patrick is an _idjit_," she hissed, the Irish twang in her voice coming through her words. "He promised us a lot of things, Michael. He told us he could handle her but then she came right back again to carry on where she left off, only this time she wants Meaghan…"

"I know Fi…"

"He can't stop her, and it's obvious she doesn't care about her own children if she can leave them behind so easily," shaking her head she closed her eyes briefly to try and ease the tension from her mind but she couldn't erase the agitation that was causing all of her irrational fears to be brought to the surface. "It's my turn to deal with her, and I'll make sure she _never_ comes back."

Michael watched on worriedly as she eased herself off of the bed and slowly got to her feet. Her gaze lingered over her two little girls before she swallowed at the lump that had become lodged inside her throat. Moving around the side of the bed she came to a stop beside him and reached out to take a hold of his hand as she eased herself down onto the tiny space beside him. His arms came up around her to hold her tightly against him before she slowly began to pull herself away just as quickly.

"I need to confront her," she told him when she sat back up, but kept a tight hold on his hand. "I have to be the one to stop her this time. When she was here before I wasn't dealing with being pregnant too well and my head was someplace else, but I'm not pregnant now."

"Yeah, but she is," Michael sighed as he lifted a hand to her hair and combed his fingers through her strands. "I don't want you doing this alone."

"I have to Michael," she told him when she leaned her head against his hand. "You promised Caitlin you wouldn't leave her, and she needs to know you keep your promises."

"Fi—"

"No Michael," her voice sliced through his before he could try and talk her out of leaving. "She took Caitlin from me when I wasn't strong enough to fight back. She did it because she knew I was alone—"

"You're not alone now," he told her adamantly as he threaded their fingers together. "You'll never be alone."

Fiona's gaze dropped down to their joined hands and felt her eyes sting with a fresh sheen of tears but she blinked them away before they could fall. Taking a breath she steadied her breathing and lifted her eyes to his to see a myriad of emotions shining back at her. She knew he loved her and that thought alone was what had kept her anchored to him through all of the heartache she'd endured over the years. Being with him, having his love had given her all the strength she'd needed to believe she could survive this thing with Marie.

Inching forward she sighed and placed her head against his chest and listened to his heart beating beneath her ear. His fingers unclasped hers so that he could slide his arms around her, holding her tightly against him even though he knew that everything she had said was right. This battle with Marie had started a long time ago, way before he had even known that he had a daughter and even though he wanted to protect Fiona and his daughter's from whatever this woman's twisted mind had conjured up, he knew he had to trust Fiona's judgement.

"I won't let her take our baby," she whispered as she clung to him. "I don't want to leave the girls but if I don't stop her now I'll be looking over my shoulder forever…and I can't do that to them, they didn't ask for this life."

"We should be doing this together," he told her on a sigh as he tugged her tighter against him. "But you're right...if we don't deal with her now…"

Despite the heaviness in her heart Fiona lifted herself upright and perched herself back onto the side of the bed before her lips lifted into a smile. He was watching her with so many different emotions mingling in his eyes that she thought he looked so utterly adorable. Leaning closer she pressed her lips to his, lingering over him for a few seconds before she drew back to smile down at him.

"You're admitting I'm right?" she teased, the laughter in her eyes causing his fingertips to dance over her arms. "Doesn't the world implode or something when you say that?"

"Oh," he grinned, feeling lighter than he had since Marie had turned their lives upside down. "I guess you think you're funny!"

"I don't think," she beamed as she kissed him again, pulling back just as quickly. "I know!"

After a few moments the light hearted smile slowly dropped from her lips when she released a low sigh. Her heart ached with the thought of leaving her two precious little girls behind, but she had to leave them here, no matter how much pain the separation would cause her.

"They're going to be fine," Michael told her softly when he saw her struggling to keep her feelings at bay. "We're all going to be fine."

Fiona nodded even though she knew nothing about this was okay. All she wanted was right here within this room and she was trying so hard to stop herself from asking him to bring the girls and come with her…she just couldn't bear to be apart from any of them. Her heart hammered inside her chest when she tried to move away from the man she loved, but she couldn't seem to let go of his hand.

Michael watched her struggling for a few painful moments before he clasped her hand tighter and moved so that he was sitting beside her on the bed. He knew she was struggling with this because he was too. Before Caitlin and Meaghan he knew he wasn't the world's best boyfriend, he wasn't the world's best anything. Fiona had changed that, she had shaped him into the man he had always wanted to be and she had shown him just how much love he was capable of. He was a better man because of her…

"We could take the girls to my mom's—"

"No," she shook her head defiantly and swallowed down the ache in her heart. "I'm okay…I just…I need…"

"I love you," he told her softly, knowing that despite how hard it was to speak them aloud, she needed to hear them right now. "Caitlin and Meaghan love you. You're a great mom…"

His words caused the welling tears to spill over onto her cheeks and she found herself leaning into his side, seeking his comfort because she didn't ever want to move away.

"I have to do this," she whispered against him, seeking comfort from his touch. "Just like you had to when you left me in Ireland."

Michael's breath hitched in his throat and he clamped his eyes closed when a mountain of regret weighed heavily over his heart. He hadn't wanted to leave her, in fact up until the last few moments before he was pulled out he was actually considering telling her everything, just so that he could take her with him.

"I never wanted to leave you," he told her, repeating the words that were screaming a mantra inside his mind. "If I could have taken you with me—"

"It's in the past," she told him, breaking through his words. Shifting slightly she moved backwards so that she could look up at him, she lifted a hand to his face and held her palm against his skin before she pressed a kiss to the underside of his chin.

Opening his eyes he smiled down at her. After everything she had been through she always managed to surprise him. This was one of the reasons he fell in love with her all those years ago; she had taken the shell of the man he was and turned him into who he was now. Even when they parted he'd known that he would never love anyone else the way he loved her, and he never had.

"I'm going to confront Marie and end this once and for all," she told him with a look that he knew all too well.

Nodding his head, Michael looked down at his two sleeping daughters before he turned back around to her. He trusted her with his life and he knew she needed him to let her do this because despite this being about Caitlin and Meaghan, the fight was ultimately hers.

"You do what you need to do," he told her, even though letting her go on her own was going against all of his instincts. "The girls will be safe here with me."

"I know they will…" she told him as she got off of the bed to stand before him. Leaning down she kissed his forehead, allowing her lips to linger over his skin before she pulled away to smile down at him. "You're their daddy."

000

Back at Madeline's house Sam was pacing backwards and forwards while he tried to reach Michael on his cell. He was beginning to worry when after the third time there was still no answer from his friend. Pulling the phone away from his ear he stared down at it in frustration and was in the process of pressing in the number once more when the front door flew open to reveal a very angry Fiona Glenanne.

"Okay," she asked, her voice hissing through her lips. "Where's the bitch who wants to steal my children?"

Sam's eyes grew wider by the second when he looked behind her, expecting her boyfriend to follow her inside but when it became apparent that she was alone he clamped his mouth closed before he could get himself into any more trouble.

"Honey, why didn't you tell me you were on your way?" Madeline asked when she came in from the kitchen.

"I didn't think about calling anyone," Fiona sighed when she offered her mother in law an apologetic smile. "Michael promised Caitlin he would stay with her and I…"

When Fiona's voice trailed away Madeline moved towards her and laid a hand on her arm before she cast a scowl in Sam's direction. It took only a few seconds for him to take the hint before he turned away from them and made his way back towards the garage where their _guests_ were being held.

"Is everything okay?" Madeline asked her softly when they were once again alone. "You look tired."

"I _am_ tired," Fiona sighed heavily as she lifted her eyes to the woman before her. "I'm tired of looking over my shoulder whenever I want to take my girls out of the house."

"I know sweetheart, but this will all soon be over won't it?"

"That's why I'm here," she nodded as she turned her head to look in the same direction that Sam had taken only moments ago. Her eyes narrowed and she could feel her anger building once more when she thought of the constant battle she had endured with the woman who was currently in the garage. "I want this to be over."

"I know," Madeline sighed. "Those little girls need it to be over too."

Fiona's eyes misted over when she thought of her eldest daughter so distressed. It was that look in her eyes that had pushed Fiona to her breaking point, forcing her to confront Marie once and for all. She had already lost so much because of that woman and she was damn sure she wasn't going to lose anything else.

"I guarantee Madeline that this ends today," Fiona told her, resolve shining in her eyes. Without batting an eye she turned on her heal and started towards the back door, determination in every step.

Madeline watched her as she walked away and felt the heaviness in her heart. She hoped that this really was truly the end of this nightmare that both Fiona and Michael had endured. With a heavy sigh she grabbed her cigarette pouch from the table and tried not to think of the next few hours.

Sam's breath caught in his throat when the click of Fiona's heels came closer towards them. Shooting his gaze towards Marie who was currently secured to a high backed chair, he saw her stiffen and her eyes grow even colder.

"Wha's tha bitch doin' here?" she hissed as she struggled with the ropes that were around her wrists. "le' me ou' a here."

"No way lady," Sam told her, his voice coming out louder than he'd intended. "You tried to steal my friend's baby."

"She's mine...It wa' har tha' stole har from me—"

A loud crack sounded across the room when Marie's head recoiled backwards, smacking into the man who was tied up behind her. O'Neil cried out in shock and tried to move out of the way before he was hit again but he wasn't quick enough.

Fiona looked down at her knuckles and felt some sense of satisfaction course through her when she saw the redness blossoming over her skin. Lifting her head she met Sam's knowing stare and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly when he motioned towards the shocked faces of Katherine and Ryan.

Fiona sighed in frustration when she moved towards Marie again and stopped within an inch of her before she bent forward to look directly into her eyes.

"Ya know, whe' ya stole me babby I wasn' in a good place an' ya knew tha'…ya couldn' wai' fer me ta leave, ya turned me mammy agains' me an' ya took advantage a me broken heart."

"Ya didn' deserve ta keep har. Ya ha' tha babby outta wedlock…ya sinned agains' god an' yer mammy," Marie spat. "I brough' har up. She wa' mine."

"I gave birth ta har," Fiona growled as she connected the palm of her hand against Marie's cheek, listening to the satisfying slap that echoed throughout the garage. "Ya stole me babby whe' I wasn' strong enough ta figh' ya."

"She wa' mine—"

"SHE _IS_ MINE."

Stepping backwards Fiona drew in a breath and tried to control the rage that was flowing around her body. Placing her hands on her hips she turned away from Marie's accusing eyes and looked at the man who had become one of her closest friends. She could see that Sam was looking as uncomfortable as he had when she'd first arrived and that only caused her to become even angrier.

"So," she spoke, not addressing anyone in particular as she moved her arms to cross them over her chest. "My first child is stolen from me…I lost the man I loved and I was forced to leave my home and my family…"

"Ya couldn' look after har," Marie's voice broke through Fiona's words causing her to turn back around, the fury in her eyes burning brightly. Marie swallowed hard and waited for another blow but Fiona surprised her by walking past her to address the man who was tied up behind her.

Looking towards Katherine and Ryan, Fiona addressed them before she turned her gaze back towards O'Neil. Seeing this man sent shards of hatred throughout her body and she had to force herself to remember why she was here to begin with. Taking a breath to calm her mind she took a step backwards and picked up a metal box before she lifted the flap. Inside was a roll of white tape that Michael had used so many times before, but not here. This was the one place where he didn't take out his frustrations on a punch bag, this was only where he kept his supplies.

Lifting out the tape she pulled at the end and began to wrap it around her knuckles, binding her hand tight as she spoke.

"Ya migh' wan' ta be leavin' now," she suggested with a smile as she glanced up at Katherine and Ryan. "Ya won' wan' ta see wha' happens next."

"Wha' are ya goin' ta do?" Katherine asked worriedly. "Yer no' goin' ta kill tham?"

Fiona stopped what she was doing and looked up at the woman who was inching closer to her husband as he tried to usher her out of the door. Her eyes clouded over with fury but she bit it back as she motioned for Sam to stop them.

"Ya know, I wa' startin' ta feel sorry fer ya," she quipped as she resumed wrapping the tape around her hand. "Bu' maybe ya shoul' stay an' listen ta tha excuses these bastards try ta use…so…ya ca' stay an' watch wha' I do ta tham."

"Fi—"

"NO," Fiona snapped, her fury silencing Sam who was barring the door. "You don't get to stop me, not after everything I've been through."

"I'm not tryin' to stop ya Fi," he told her on a sigh as he implored her to understand what he was trying to tell her. "This isn't you—"

"Oh Sam," she scoffed, shaking her head. "You don't know what I'm capable of…the things I've done…"

"In the past yeah, but you're different now," he edged forward and stood before her. "You're a mom."

"I was always a mother, Sam," she told him as she continued to encase her hands in white tape. "I tried to protect Caitlin from everything she'd been born in to but I didn't realise at the time that it was those people who were supposed to love me that in the end were the ones to betray me."

Sam watched her as she kept her gaze diverted from his and he suddenly realised that this whole mess wasn't going to be solved without violence, no matter how much she had changed. Holding up his hands he stepped closer and took the tape from her. When she looked up at him questioningly he just nodded towards her bound hands and motioned for her to lift her unbound one so that he could help her tape it up.

"You're a good mom," he told her softly as he wrapped the tape around her knuckles. "Mike and those girls are lucky to have you."

"Thanks," she told him with a slight smile. "But you know I have to end this right? Marie told Thomas O'Neil where to find me…she wanted me dead so she could take Caitlin forever."

"I don' wan' ya ta give har back ta me," Marie's voice echoed as she turned her head towards Sam and Fiona, her eyes flaring as she spoke. "I jus' wan' a girl…jus' a babby ta replace Caitlin, tha' s all…jus' give me tha' babby an' ya can have this one."

"What?" Fiona asked in disbelief. "You want me to give you my daughter in exchange for your unborn—"

"It's a boy," Marie told her quickly, as if that knowledge would somehow convince Fiona to give Meaghan up. "Ya coul' give yer husban' a son…ya ca' have him as soon as he's born."

On the other side of the room Katherine drew in a sharp breath and shook her head. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could her cousin possibly believe that she could just replace one child with another?

"I think yer a sick woman Marie," she told her in disgust as she lifted her gaze onto Fiona's determined face. "I'm sorry fer tha pain we caused ya Fiona…I hope you an' yer husban' can fergive us."

Fiona nodded silently and smiled up at Sam when he tore off the end of the white tape. She knew he was worried about her, but she was being led by her desire for vengeance and no amount of talking was going to stop that.

Stepping backwards Sam observed his handiwork and nodded his head before he moved towards the garage door and shooed Katherine and Ryan outside. Stopping in the doorway he turned to look behind her one last time as he stepped over the threshold to stand just outside the open door. "I'll be here if you need any help."

Nodding her head thankfully Fiona closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before she spun around with lightening speed to deliver a punch to the side of Bobby O'Neil's head.

"So, wha' di' she promise ya fer helping ta steal me child?" she hissed as she punched him again, snapping his head sideways. "TELL ME…"

Bobby chuckled to himself and shook his head before he spat saliva mixed with his blood onto the floor. "Ya bitch…ya think I wanted ta help har steal ya kid? I wa' jus' goin' ta take ya back ta Irelan'"

"WHA'?" Marie hissed as she struggled to turn around. "Ya sai' ya wa' goin' ta help me…"

"I wa' goin' ta help me brother," he laughed. "Ya thin' I care abou' some whingin' kid?"

"Bu' ya promised—"

"I lied…I only wan' har ta pay fer wha' she did." Opening his eyes he grinned up at Fiona, enjoying the spark of shock in his eyes as he tried again, goading her into hitting him. "Thomas aske' me ta fin' ya an' take ya back ta Irelan'…ya know thare's a lotta pissed off people who wan' a piece a yer hide."

"Well," Fiona grinned down at him before she drew back her fist to punch him squarely on the nose, enjoying the satisfying crack that she heard when the impact shattered his nose. Looking down at his swelling face she shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "They'll be mighty disappointed then won' thay…"

Sam stepped back inside the garage and pulled a face when he saw the mess that Fiona had made of O'Neil's face. For such a tiny woman she was downright terrifying and he counted his blessings on more than one occasion that he was her friend and not her enemy. Catching her eyes he nodded lightly when she acknowledged him and found himself moving towards the bleeding man.

"Ya should have kept your mouth shut buddy," he informed him quietly as he stood back to see what Fiona had planned for Marie. "She might be small but she could wipe the floor with any man twice her size."

Fiona stopped mid step and turned to look at him as a bright smile formed on her lips. "Aww Sam, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"See now I wasn't saying it to you, I was saying it to our friend here," he quipped as he patted Bobby O'Neil on the head.

"But it was still about me," she grinned. "So it still counts."

Sam thought for a few moments and found his lips lifting into a smile. Despite the situation Fiona always seemed to find the time to bounce right back at him when he tried to sneak in some sarcastic remarks, he'd just forgotten how quick she was to respond. Shaking his head he reached down and grabbed hold of Bobby's shoulders, picking him up from behind along with his chair and moved him towards the other side of the garage and turned him around so that he was facing the wall.

"I'll stay with our friend here while you do your thing with her…Oh your mom said Mike just called, Pat's on his way here now."

"Really?" Fiona asked with surprise as she looked down at her sister in law's red cheek. "Seems a shame that all you have out of this is a red face when I lost everything."

"Bu' ya no' lost everythin'," Marie gasped out. "Ya ca' have tha boy I'm carryin', I jus' wan' ya girl, tha's all."

"Tha's ALL?" Fiona asked in disbelief. "Ya expect me ta hand over me child jus' like tha'? Ya think I coul' jus' give har ta ya?"

"Ya gave me ya other babby."

"Ya _TOOK_ har," Fiona hissed as her hand connected with Marie's face again. The loud slap echoed throughout the garage and Fiona drew herself away when she saw the red handprint forming on Marie's face. "Ya decided fer me. Ya made sure ya got me ma on side an' went behind me bac' ta take har from me."

"Ya couldn' look aftar har," Marie shook her head, moving from side to side as she spoke. "I wanted a babby an' Patrick wouldn' let me have one…"

"So ya took mine?" Fiona's eyes flared with angry tears and she wished in that one moment that Michael was here with her. "Ya knew I wasn' strong enough ta fight me mammy didn' ya? So wha' ya twisted Patrick's mind with yer lies?"

"It wasn' tha' hard. I tol' O'Neil where ta find ya…" Marie told her with a spiteful smile. "Yer man left ya…all I had ta do wa' convince ya ma tha' ya couldn' keep a babby wit' ya an' she worked on Patrick."

Fiona stood stock still and lifted her head to meet her brother's shocked eyes from where he had arrived with Madeline to stand in the garage doorway. The anger seemed to drain away from Fiona the second he arrived to be replaced with something else. Shaking her head she swallowed the lump in her throat and allowed the Irish accent to drop from her voice.

"So you planned it all?" she asked, feeling utterly deflated. "You turned my family against me to take my child, all because you wanted a girl?"

"Tha's parta it yeah," Marie told her with an acrid smile. "I wanted wha' ya ha' wit' yer man. He really loved ya an' I never ha' tha' wit' yer brother. I wan' tha girl ta go wit' me boys bac' home…an' I wan' yer man…I wan' tha life ya had."

"So you thought you'd try and take it?" Taking a step backwards Fiona folded her arms across her chest and shook her head from side to side. "Why Michael?"

"He wa' nice ta me…he wasn' scared ta show ya he loved ya an' I wanted tha'. I shoul' a been tha one wit' tha man an' tha babby. Ya didn' deserve him, not then an' not now."

"How can you even say that?" Fiona's heart was aching when she thought back to her time with Michael in Ireland. All this time she thought that Marie had been only fixated on Caitlin, but now she realised it was Michael and Meaghan too… "Are you even pregnant?"

Marie's eyes lit up and she broke into laughter as she rocked in her chair. "Ya really didn' think I'd be wantin' another babby di' ya? A course I ain' pregnan'."

"So why—"

"Tha's tha only time yer brother doesn' use hi' fists." Leaning back in her chair she watched Fiona's eyes slowly lose all of their brightness and gave herself a mental pat on the back.

"Ya tell tham I hit ya?" Patrick asked in shock when he moved into the garage to confront his wife. "Why woul' ya even say tha'?"

Marie's eyes grew wide as she looked from Fiona to Patrick and back again as she fought to come up with a suitable answer.

"I didn' know ya wa' here," she started, hoping she could talk her way out of her own mess. "Patrick…ya have ta believe me…I didn' mean ta say tha'…"

"Ya didn' mean ta say I hit ya? Why say it at all?"

"Ya di' hit me once…an' I bet ya can' even remember can ya?" she growled as she tried to pull herself free of the ropes that bound her to the chair. "Ya slapped me face whe', ya took Caitlin away from me…don' ya remember ya back handd' me an' ordered me bac' inta tha house?"

"Tha' wa' once," he protested angrily. "I laid me han's on ya once an' tha' wa' ta calm ya down. Ya wa' a mess."

"Because ya took me child—"

"She wasn' _OUR_ child," Patrick told her firmly, the frustration in his words causing his voice to rise. "Yer sick Marie, I didn' know it befer bu' I ca' see it now…ya need help…an' whe' we ge' home I'm goin' ta make sure ya ge' it."

"Wha'? I don' need help…I'm—"

"Yer sick…I didn' see it befer an' I shoul' have," shaking his head, Patrick lifted his eyes towards his sister and tried to think of something to say that would somehow make up for all the pain that his wife had caused.

"Save your breath, Patrick," Fiona told him abruptly as she held her hand up to stop him. "You let her come after my daughters…_twice._ There's nothing you can say to me now…nothing."

"Fiona—"

"NO!"

Fiona's voice echoed in the silence causing all of the occupants to regard her with caution. Her face was flushed and her eyes were brimming over with emotion that she was finding almost impossible to control as she surged towards Marie without warning, hitting her with such a force that her head cracked backwards. Drawing back her fist she raised it once more to strike her sister in law again but Patrick caught her arm, stopping her mid blow.

Everything happened so fast that he didn't have time to step away when she reacted to him quickly, bringing her leg up to deliver a kick to his groin. He yelped in pain as he released his grip on her and crumbled to the floor, holding himself as he rode out the agony of her blow.

Fiona was shaking with rage, her whole body running on pure adrenalin as she looked around the garage searching for some kind of weapon that she could use to inflict more damage on the people who had caused her so much anguish in the past. She was so focused on her task that she didn't hear Sam's voice trying to calm her down; she didn't hear anything at all except the thumping of her heartbeat inside her ears.

"Fi…Fiona, come on now," Sam tried again. "I know they've hurt ya but this ain't you…not anymore…you don't wanna do this."

His words slowly registered in her mind and she spun around to face him, fury radiating from her body. She was beyond angry, beyond anything as she moved slowly towards him with murder in her eyes.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING," she growled angrily. "THEY LET HER TAKE MY BABY."

"And you got her back," he told her as he took a brave step closer. "You got Mike back, after all that pain you have your life back…what has she got?"

Fiona stopped still and swallowed hard when she followed his hand as he motioned for her to look at the empty woman who had nothing anymore. With sudden realisation she took a step back and couldn't seem to stop her body from shaking when she wrapped her arms around herself. Sam moved forwards and caught her before she could fall, holding onto her tightly when she came apart in his arms.

"It's gonna be okay," he soothed softly, not really knowing if anything he said registered with her. "You need to go home to Mike and your girls…let me take care of this."

Hearing Michael's name brought a flood of tears to her eyes and she nodded against him before she pulled away abruptly and looked down at her brother who was still wreathing on the floor. Glancing back at Sam she nodded her thanks before she made her way towards the door.

"Make sure he doesn't leave until Michael gets here," she told him in a broken voice. "He wants this finished too."

Before she left completely she turned back towards Marie who struggled with her binds. When she couldn't break free she cussed Fiona as she moved passed and spat on the floor at her feet.

"YA BITCH…Yer—"

The blow that Fiona delivered to her face snapped her head to the side, the force so great that Marie's eyes closed on the impact as she slumped down in her seat. Fiona watched her unconscious form with satisfaction and lifted her eyes to Sam, nodding her head with thanks before she stepped out of the garage and walked away.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who left reviews, PM's and added me and this story to favourite story and author adds. I really do appreciate all of your comments.**

**Huge thanks to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and Jedi Skysinger for reading through parts of this and for being such great friends. Also huge thanks to all of my friends on Twitter for the constant love and support.**

**There's two chapters left of this story, thank you to everyone for reading.**

14

Sunshine cast its rays into the windows of the car Fiona drove, its warmth tinting her pale skin. Focusing on the cars in front she sat up a little higher in her seat and tried to concentrate on what she was going to do when she got home to her family. They were going to be a family again, a proper family. No more looking over their shoulders or not attending play dates. No, her little girls were going to lead normal happy lives and regardless of what had happened in the past she was determined that from today she was going to stop blaming everyone for her mistakes.

_Her_ mistakes…

Fiona's mind was in turmoil. All these years she had been living with an anger that had fuelled her temper, causing her to take out her frustrations on everyone around her. For so long she had blamed Marie and her family for taking her daughter away from her but since she had got her back, it was becoming increasingly apparent that she should have done more. She should have fought for Caitlin, she should have refused to leave her and she should have been stronger…but she didn't do anything.

Tears blurred her vision as she drove, her body rebelling against her as she started to shake. Five years ago she walked away from Ireland and her daughter, leaving part of her heart behind. The day she left her baby was a day that tore her to shreds and had stayed within her every day since. She had counted the days, marking them off inside her head, keeping a mental note of how long it had been since she'd seen her child. For months she kept perfect count, telling herself that she would never forget, but when she got to New York and spent most of that time dodging police and her enemies, the days had slipped away.

Casting her mind back she tried to think of how what she could have done differently to bring her daughter back into her life, but the more she thought the more guilty she felt, because the responsibility for not trying harder was on her shoulders, not Marie's or Patrick's. Yes in the first two weeks of Caitlin's life Fiona was exhausted and desperate. She didn't know what she was doing and when Marie came in to take over Caitlin's care she hadn't seen it for what it was...but Marie had known what she was doing…all the time she'd played on Fiona's depression and fed a bunch of lies to everyone around them.

The cell phone in her bag vibrated but she couldn't bring herself to answer it. She knew it would be Michael or Sam wanting to know why she wasn't home yet…but how could she go home and face the consequences of what she'd done? She had let Caitlin down by not fighting harder for her, but how could she have brought her back with her when danger followed her everywhere when she'd first left Ireland.

She had managed to convince herself back then that she was doing the right thing for Caitlin by leaving her with her brother and his family. It was the only way she could have given her a stable life, one that she deserved, not the chaos that she had been born in to.

Shaking her head she swallowed the lump in her throat and promised herself that she was going to be a better mother than she had been. She needed to shower Caitlin with every ounce of love that she'd missed in her early years and she needed to explain to her why she never went back. Her little girl deserved everything, and that was what she was going to have from now on.

She knew that a talk with Michael was well overdue and now that Marie was going to be dragged back to Ireland with O'Neil she could finally release the guilt she had been carrying for so many years. She had always loved Caitlin, ever since the day she'd known she was growing inside her and that had never changed.

With a new resolve in her heart she blinked the tears away and held her head up high. She was entering a new phase in her life…Fiona Glenanne, wife and mother…

000

Michael looked down at his phone again before he placed it back onto the table. Glancing up at the clock he tried not to let the worry in his eyes seep into his voice when his eldest daughter trundled towards him.

"Daddy, Meaghan's awake," she told him with a smile. "Bu' she smells…"

Michael looked down at Caitlin and for a moment he was reminded of how much this little girl had changed him. Holding out his hand he grinned when she wrapped her fingers around his and bounced up and down before him.

"I go' tha nappy ready fer har an' tha powder mammy uses."

"You did huh?" he asked with a smile. "Well, how about we change your sister's diaper and order take out for dinner?"

"Pizza?" she asked hopefully, her eyes glowing with delight. "An' lot's a cheese?"

"Anything you want honey," he nodded as he led her towards Meaghan's room. "If we order it before your mom gets home she can't say no, right?"

Caitlin's giggle rippled through Meaghan's room the second they walked inside causing the baby in the crib to react to the sound. Letting go of her father's hand, Caitlin ran towards the crib and peered over the top to reach inside to the baby who made a grab for her hand.

"Daddy's comin' ta change ya," she cooed. "An' then we're goin' ta get pizza."

Meaghan's eyes followed her sister when she brushed a finger over her cheek. Reaching out she grabbed Caitlin's hand and held on tight as she kicked her legs in the air in excitement.

"No ya can' eat pizza yet," Caitlin told her as she tried to remove her fingers from her baby sister's grip. "Bu' mammy said ya can eat real food soon."

Michael shook his head in amusement when he came up behind Caitlin to peer into the crib. Both of his daughter's looked up at him with adoration in their eyes, melting his heart and filling him with pride at the same time. The moment albeit brief melted away when Meaghan kicked her legs again to release the stench that hit his senses all at once.

"I think we'd better change you before your mom comes home," he laughed when Meaghan squealed up at him as he reached for her. Lifting her out of the crib he brought her forward to kiss her chubby cheek before he carried her across to the changing unit. He resisted the urge to hold his nose when he undid her diaper, he was lost in her bright smile as he took the offending item away from her skin. "For someone so small you—"

The front door opened and banged closed seconds later only to be followed by Fiona's urgent voice. Before Michael could call out to her that they were in Meaghan's room, Caitlin gasped in delight and sped out of the room, calling out to her as she ran.

"Well it looks like it's just us," Michael mused when he cleaned his baby girl and wrestled to get a clean diaper on her when he was done. "This was a lot easier when you didn't move around so much."

His soft voice brought Meaghan's eyes onto him and she watched him with fascination when he leaned over her to kiss her nose.

"Hey," Fiona's voice was a welcome intrusion when she came into the room with Caitlin hoisted onto her hip.

Turning his head he shot her a bright smile, relief shining in his eyes. "Hey…everything okay?"

"Yep," she nodded, hoping he didn't hear her voice catch as she moved closer towards him. "It's over now."

Nodding his head he turned his attention back to Meaghan and snapped her onsie back together before he lifted her up against him. With her secured against him he turned towards Fiona, noticing instantly that she had dried tear tracks over her cheeks. He felt a surge of love course through his body and before he could stop himself he moved forward and pressed his lips to hers, lingering against her for a few precious moments before he moved away again.

"Daddddy," Caitlin whined when she rested her cheek against her mother's. "Ca' we still have pizza?"

Michael opened his mouth to tell her yes but Fiona beat him to it, her voice wavering a little when she tugged her daughter tightly into her side.

"You can have anything you want baby," she told her adoringly as she turned her face to press a kiss against her cheek. "But just for tonight."

"Okay," Caitlin grinned, nodding her head emphatically when her mother returned her to the floor. "Can I have lots a cheese?"

Fiona's eyes skimmed over her daughter's features and she felt something clench inside her. This beautiful little girl had been a blessing, one that she had left behind and she knew as long as she lived she would never forgive herself for almost losing her forever.

"Just for tonight baby," she nodded. "Tomorrow you can help me cook something your aunt Claire used to make."

Caitlin gasped and jumped forward, taking hold of her mother's hands to swing them from side to side. "Wha' is it mammy?"

"You'll see," Fiona told her with a smile. "I made it once before but I didn't make it as good as hers, so tomorrow you and me are going to try it together."

"Yesss," Caitlin leapt forward and tugged her mother into a tight hug before she released her and looked up at her father. "Daddy, did ya hear wha' mammy said?"

"I did honey," he grinned. "That's great."

Letting go of Fiona's hands she looked over at the play mat they had brought for Meaghan a few weeks ago and ran towards it. Picking it up she held it awkwardly and carried it towards the door before she looked at her parents expectantly.

"Come on daddy…I wan' ta play wit' Meaghan."

The baby in Michael's arms kicked her legs and squealed with delight when she heard her sister's voice. Her eyes followed her as she left the room, the smile on her face causing both of her parents to look at each other with adoration.

"I think you'd better do as she says," Fiona told him with a smile as she reached out to take Meaghan from him. "Never keep a Glenanne woman waiting!"

Michael kept his eyes on her and not for the first time he noted how haunted her eyes had become. There were so many questions he needed to ask but he didn't know where to start. Whatever had happened while she was away had been enough to dull the light in her eyes.

"Fi…"

"Not now," she told him softly as she lifted Meaghan onto her shoulder. "Later, okay…"

Nodding worriedly he watched her as she turned away from him and left the room, her silence doing nothing to ease the fear in his heart. Sighing heavily he looked back at Meaghan's changing unit and made his way towards it to clean up the messy diaper and couldn't help but smile in amusement. If only he'd known all those years ago when he'd first met Fiona Glenanne that she would make him the happiest man alive, he never would have fought so hard against her. She had given him so much and he owed her everything. With thoughts of forever in his mind he turned back towards the door and returned to the family room where his three favourite girls were waiting.

Caitlin was kneeling beside Meaghan's play mat when he walked into the room and he found his eyes drawn towards his two little daughters. They were both already so close, even though there was five years between them. As he watched them interact his gaze drifted towards their mother who was keeping the same vigilant watch over them. Since she had returned from his mother's she had seemed edgy and quiet, two things that he'd never associated with her before.

Catching her eyes he lifted the dirty diaper bag and motioned that he was going to throw it in the trash, and grabbed his cell phone from the table on the way out. Her silent nod was enough for him to know that he had to call Sam to find out just what had happened with Marie and Bobby O'Neil.

Once he was outside he discarded the diaper and quickly pressed in Sam's number as he looked towards the door, keeping a watchful eye for any signs of Fiona.

"_Hey Mikey."_

"Sam," he gasped out his friend's name and lowered his voice into a whisper. "Listen, I need to know what happened over there."

"_What?"_ Sam asked. _"Fi didn't tell you?"_

"I wouldn't be calling if she'd told me would I?" Michael scoffed. "Did anything happen that I should know?"

"_Nah, no more than usual…you know Fi. She kicked Marie's ass!"_

"She—"

"_Yeah turns out the woman is a complete nut ball. Did ya know she lied about being pregnant?"_

"She what?" shaking his head Michael tried to process what Sam was telling him but he couldn't seem to fathom why Marie had lied. "But…"

"_I have no idea either Mike. All I know is there was some major talk of the past and then Fi went psycho on their asses."_

Michael closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. He was still no closer to finding out what had happened and he was becoming more frustrated with every passing second.

"Sam…I need to know what's going on. Where's Marie and O'Neil?"

"_Will ya quit worryin' Mike, they're here and so is Fi's brother. He's making arrangements to have her committed into some nut farm. St Ida's or somethin'. Looks like little miss baby stealer is on her way to a long stay."_

"And O'Neil?"

"_Ahh…well, see he was raggin' on about gettin' even with all of us and I guess the leg on his chair was a little loose cuz he landed flat on his face, made a total mess of ya mom's floor."_

Shaking his head, Michael couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was this finally over now?

"So when's Patrick taking them back to Ireland?"

"_He's arranged for a boat to take them back, but if ya ask me, I think he has his own plans for O'Neil,"_ Sam told him gruffly. _"If he turns him into shark bait then ya didn't hear it from me okay?"_

Nodding his head, Michael closed his eyes briefly before he opened them just as quickly when he remembered his mother and her uninvited quests.

"What about my mom and—"

"_She's fine brother, she and Barry are yackin' on about some hair products…I got outta there before they could give each other a makeover…do ya know how freaky that is brother?"_

"And Katherine?"

"_Both gone back to their farm…but they left ya a contact number just in case ya know."_

"That's great Sam," Michael nodded with a sigh. "That's good news…"

"_It's all taken care of Mike, now why don't ya go and spend some time with your girls. By the way Fi left here earlier she's goin' to need ya."_

Michael listened to his friend's voice and lifted his eyes back towards the door. He nodded and muttered a quick thanks before he closed off the phone and made his way back into the house.

000

Later that night while Michael and Caitlin were bathing Meaghan, Fiona cleared up the dinner dishes and tried not to think of how close she had come to living a very different life. She knew she was very lucky to be given a second chance with her daughter despite everything that had happened in the past.

As she loaded the last dish into the dishwasher she dried her hands on a towel and leant against the counter to look around the family room. There were toys stacked all over the floor and various baby items draped over every surface and she smiled to herself when she realised that the chaos didn't bother her at all. She had always liked a tidy home, where there was a place for everything but now, it didn't seem to matter any more.

Walking towards the couch she picked up one of Meaghan's blankets and held it against her face, sniffing the scent that was uniquely hers. The softness of the wool against her cheek transported her back to that time so long ago when she had woken up on the first morning after she'd left her baby behind. The guilt was palpable, even more so now than it had ever been back then.

_Jolting awake she reached for the gun beneath her makeshift pillow and pointed it towards the cargo bay door and listened intently for the noises that had pulled her from sleep. Sweat beaded over her brow and she tried to catch her breath as she fought to calm her erratic heartbeat. Her transport wasn't the most conventional but on short notice the cargo ship she'd been smuggled on to was going to take her away from Ireland and the life she'd left behind._

_Swallowing back the roughness in her throat she blinked heavily as she slowly lowered her gun. She was so tired and so utterly defeated. She felt raw and exposed as she tried to relax against the bulkhead wall hoping to push away the images that had kept her awake throughout most of the journey. Her mind relived the last few months over and over, reminding and taunting her of everything she had lost…but she had to lose everything, how else would she protect her child? _

_As she thought about the last conversation with her mother, the words the older woman had used came back again and again to haunt her. Had she allowed herself to be manipulated? Should she have stayed and fought to keep Caitlin by her side? What if she'd have stayed? What then? O'Neil was relentless and thoroughly pissed with her betrayal and if he even had a hint that she had a child he…_

_Shaking her head she forced those thoughts away from her mind. He would never find Caitlin and he'd never know that the beautiful little baby girl that her brother promised to raise was hers… he'd never know that she ached for her with every passing second…_

_With a heavy sigh she pulled herself upright and glanced down at the gun in her hand. She should be holding her baby right now, not nestling the cool piece of metal against her instead. Her heart hurt; the pain of separation so unbearable that it brought a flood of tears to her eyes. She blinked them back before they could take hold of her but stopped fighting it when she suddenly realised that she had no one to hide from anymore._

_Michael was gone, taking part of her right along with him and it had only been Caitlin who'd helped replace the loneliness that had encased her…but now they were both gone…she was alone again just as she had always been…alone and unwanted._

_The first tear tumbled onto her cheek but she didn't wipe it away this time. The pain made her remember how it felt to be a mother…she never wanted to forget…ever. Placing the gun onto the floor beside her she rubbed the palm of her hands over her eyes and sniffed back the moisture that had gathered there. Crying never solved anything…she'd learned that the hard way so long ago when Claire had been taken away from them. Crying never brought her back and all it seemed to do was spur her mother's anger towards her. So she cried in private when the grief refused to be silenced and until she'd met Michael she had never cried in front of any man._

_His face merged into her mind, his eyes interwoven into every memory she had of him. He'd always known when she was upset but he'd never once asked questions, he'd simply wrapped his arms around her and held on until she had got whatever was bothering her out of her system._

_Lowering her hands into her lap she opened her eyes and looked around at the various crates that concealed her position, giving her time to regroup and try to return to the woman whose had the nightmarish reputation. She had to pull herself together and think of the reasons why she had left her daughter behind. It was for the best, her mother had said so. Living on the run was no life for a baby and Patrick had promised to make sure Caitlin would know all about her…but what if Marie convinced him to not mention her name at all?_

_Anxious uncertainty flooded her heart and she tried to tell herself that she had got it all wrong. Patrick promised her but all she could focus on was Marie's face when she'd all but chased her out of the house. She knew Marie couldn't wait for her to leave; in fact she'd urged her to go as quickly as possible before she could change her mind._

_Sudden anger coursed through her body to eliminate the tears from her eyes. Sitting up further she focused on the hatred instead of the sorrow, but when she felt the wetness forming over her breasts she looked down to see the moisture circles forming over her shirt and all thoughts of hatred melted away. Her baby was gone but her body hadn't gotten the message yet…and that's when the sobs overtook her again…_

"Hey…"

Fiona was suddenly ripped from her memories and lifted her gaze onto the man she loved hoping that he couldn't see the sadness in her eyes. Focussing on the baby in his arms she dropped the blanket and reached out for her. Her mind was still caught in the memories that had bogged her down. She cradled the little girl against her and fought against the welling emotions that were tangled up from the past, but no matter how much she tried to stop them, the tears filled her eyes anyway.

Michael stepped forward, worry emanating from his eyes but when she looked up at him and shook her head he just placed his hand over her arm, pouring his love and concern into her with his touch.

"Caitlin's in her bedroom drying off," he told her with a soft smile. "She's waiting for you."

Fiona nodded tearfully as she nestled her lips over Meaghan's forehead before she reluctantly handed her back to him.

"I'll go and help her," she told him with a rueful chuckle as she swiped a hand across her cheek. "I just need to stop doing this…"

"Fi…" his voice was so soft that she almost didn't hear him at first. He repeated her name again, this time a little louder to bring her eyes up to meet his.

"I'm okay," she lied, masking her pain with a smile. "With all of this stuff with Marie I was Just thinking what Caitlin's life would have been like if I'd taken her with me…she'd hate me if she knew how I just walked away from her…"

"Caitlin loves you Fi," he told her firmly as he stepped closer. "You're a great mom to both of the girls—"

"I should have fought for her," she told him quickly, her voice cutting through his. "If O'Neil hadn't—"

"_STOP_," Michael told her firmly when he saw her beginning to lose control. "You did what you thought was right. No one could ever blame you for doing what was best for Caitlin…"

"What if I can't stop blaming myself?"

Meaghan squeal up at her parents, her wide grin melting away all of the heartache from the last few moments. Shaking her head Fiona stepped closer and stroked a finger over her baby daughter's cheek before she lifted her eyes up to the man she loved and offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"It wasn't your fault," he told her softly, touching her cheek with his free hand to reiterate his words when she started to back away. "It wasn't."

"Then whose is it?" she asked quietly. "I've spent all this time blaming Marie and my mother when in the end I should have been blaming myself…I was the one who walked away—"

"To save her," he urged. "You wanted to protect her and you did."

She was quiet for a few moments as she pondered on his words before she slowly lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. Nodding slowly she released a heavy sigh and looked towards Caitlin's bedroom. A smile formed on her lips when she thought of the little girl who had stolen her heart so long ago.

"She's amazing isn't she?"

"She has you for a mother," Michael grinned, watching her cheeks flush pink when he cast her an adoring gaze. "Yep, she's pretty amazing."

As if on cue the little girl in question popped her head around the door, her lips blossoming into a smile when she saw her mother.

"Mammy, me hairs all wet…ca' ya help me ta dry it?"

Fiona's heart melted when she saw her beautiful daughter looking at her as if she was the most important person in the world. The anguish she'd felt just moments ago all but melted away as she focused on Caitlin's face and returned her smile with a bright one of her own.

"I'll be there in a minute baby," she called as she turned back to Michael to hold her arms out for Meaghan again. "I'll stay with the girls while you pick up some milk…we're almost out."

Michael watched her curiously and pressed a kiss onto Meaghan's head as he handed her back over only to kiss Fiona too in the process. He knew she was giving him the option to go to his mother's while he was out, knowing too that he needed to say his piece in the whole crapped out situation before Patrick carted Marie and O'Neil back to Ireland.

"Okay," he nodded with a smile, casting his eyes towards his eldest daughter who had come out of her room wearing bright pink pyjamas. Holding out his arms to her, he scooped her up when she ran towards him, tugging her close to him before he planted a kiss onto her cheek.

"Where ya goin' daddy?" she asked as she tugged him tighter.

"Mom needs me to pick up some milk from the store," he told her. "When I get back we'll read your favourite book."

Caitlin shook her head and wrapped her arms further around him, pulling him tighter as she buried her face into his neck, her words muffled. "I don' like it anymore."

"Hey," he whispered. "Mog's your favourite, why don't you like it anymore honey?"

Lifting her head, Caitlin looked up at her father with wide, tear filled eyes. "I don' wan' ta remember tha bathroom daddy…Nana wa' reading Mog when we heard tha bang…"

Fiona's breath caught in her throat and she manoeuvred Meaghan onto her shoulder before she stepped forward to lay her hand against Caitlin's back.

"Oh baby," she whispered. "That will never happen again okay, it's all over now. Don't let something that scares you stop you from doing the things you love. And you love your books."

"Your mom's right honey," Michael told her as he kissed her cheek again. "I'll tell you what. You stay and help your mom with Meaghan and I'll see if there's any new books at the store."

Caitlin gasped and tugged him tighter, her eyes wide with excitement. "Ca' I have two?"

"Honey you can have as many as I can carry," he laughed, relieved that she was slowly returning back to the bright little girl she was before this all happened.

"Yesss," she giggled, tugging him in for one last hug before he placed her back onto the floor. Looking up at her mother she shot her a bright smile as she turned around and sped off back towards the bedroom. "Come on mammy…"

Michael watched on incredulously and shook his head when he turned back to Fiona who was patting Meaghan's back. Her bright smile warmed him when he thought of how he could have missed this if things had turned out differently. Stepping closer he leaned in to kiss Meaghan's temple and melted a little when she smiled at him before she grabbed a handful of Fiona's hair.

"I'll see you when I get back," he whispered as he hovered close to Fiona's lips, closing the gap to seal them together for a soft kiss. When he pulled away he watched her for a few moments before he traced her cheek with his finger. "I won't be away too long."

"Okay," she whispered as she met his gaze with an intense one of his own. "Tell your mom I said thanks."

He nodded before he turned away to grab his keys from the table and walked towards the door but stopped when she called his name. He turned to regard her questioningly as she watched him, her mouth opening to say something but she couldn't quite speak. His lips merged into a smile and he had to fight the urge to move back towards her but he knew he had to finish this thing with Fiona's family once and for all. Nodding his head he watched her eyes, love emanating from her gaze and he knew what she was trying to say.

"Me too, Fi," he told her with an adoring smile before he opened the door and stepped outside, knowing that when he returned, this would be their new beginning…

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has left reviews, PM'd and for all of the favourite author and story adds. I appreciate all of you more than you could ever know. I am trying to find time to reply to all of you individually but there never seems to be enough hours in the day. Please know that I appreciate each and every one of you.**

**As always thank you to my friends Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for not only reading through parts of this but for being there whenever I need them. There are no words to describe how much I love all of you.**

15

The moment Michael opened the door to his mother's house he could feel the tension immediately. He knew from the snippets he'd got from Fiona and Sam that the unwelcome Glenanne clan were in the garage and he only hoped that they stayed there until they left the States for good.

Calling out he closed the door behind him to walk further into the room but he couldn't hear anything and instantly he was on high alert. Pulling his gun out of the umbrella stand beside the front door, he held it in his hand and looked around the room for any signs of life. Calling out his mother's name again he ventured further inside, his senses already on high alert.

A sudden noise coming from the bathroom caused him to extend his hand and point his gun, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"_MICHAEL!"_

Michael's eyes flared in surprise and he instantly lowered his gun when he came face to face with his mother and Barry who were just emerging from the bathroom. His mind tried to process what he was witnessing but before he could ask them what was going on, Madeline surged forward and glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing coming in here and pointing that thing at me?" she growled as she pulled the towel that was wrapped around her head away. "I thought I taught you better than that!"

"Mom—"

"No," she snapped, cutting through his words. "You don't get to come in here pointing guns…you could have shot me."

Shaking his head, Michael tucked the gun into the waistband of his pants as his eyes caught sight of various bottles of hair products littering the counter before he returned his gaze towards his mother and a very sheepish looking Barry.

"I wasn't going to shoot you. Remember _I _know how much that hurts," he told her as his eyes caught Barry's for a few seconds before he held up his hands to stop her from speaking. "What's going on in here anyway?"

"Uh Mike…" Barry started but his voice filtered away when Michael glared at him. Lowering his eyes he backed away and diverted his attention to the bottles on the table.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Barry was showing me how to keep the colour in my hair," she told him nonchalantly as she reached up to twist a wet strand. "What do you think?"

Michael's mouth opened and closed as he fought to think of something to say and was more than a little relieved when his best friend decided to poke his head around the door.

"Hey Mikey," he called. "I wondered when ya were goin' to get here."

Releasing the breath he was holding he offered his mother a quick smile and turned on his heel to make his way towards Sam, ushering him back out of the door so that he could escape his mother's stare.

"Okay okay," Sam huffed. "Geeze Mike, slow down will ya."

"Sorry," shaking his head Michael pulled the door closed behind him and looked up into the cloudless sky. "Where's…"

"In the garage," Sam inclined his head towards the open door and laid a hand on his friend's arm to stop him before he could storm inside. "Marie's in a bad way…I tell ya brother the woman's a nut ball and O'Neil ain't much better. If you ask me the pair of them deserve each other."

"And Patrick?"

"Yeah he's in there too," Sam nodded as he glanced behind him at the opening. "By the way he's talking I wouldn't be surprised if he dropped both of them into the Atlantic."

Sighing heavily Michael nodded and made his way towards the garage door, both dreading and hoping that Sam was exaggerating. He vaguely caught Sam's retreating form out of the corner of his eyes before he stepped over the threshold and walked into what had become a makeshift prison cell.

The dim light muted his senses briefly before his eyes caught sight of Patrick Glenanne pacing backwards and forwards like a caged animal. The second the other man caught his attention, Michael was instantly on high alert. Out of all of the Glenanne's, Patrick had been the most unstable family member that he'd met and he knew to be always on his guard with him. Patrick hadn't mentioned anything about the fact that Michael had lied to all of them about his lineage, and he knew from the things he'd picked up from Fiona that most of the Glenanne Clan were less than impressed that he'd fed them all a pack of lies for months.

"Michael," he nodded in greeting as he turned to face him. "I wa' beginnin' ta think tha' ya weren' goin' ta come."

"You think I'd miss the opportunity to make sure the woman who tried to kidnap my daughter is finally leaving?" he asked tautly. "Did you think I was just going to sit back and let you quietly slip away?"

"Oh now ya wan' ta be a daddy ta ya babby?" Marie hissed, her biting words intending to cause as much damage as possible. "Ya walked away from har an' har mammy."

"I didn't know Fiona was pregnant before I left," Michael hit back. "If I had things would have been different…you wouldn't have been able to take Caitlin from her."

"Is tha' wha' tha bitch tol' ya now?" Marie hissed. "She didn' know wha' she wa' doin' so I helped har, tha' all."

"Ya did more than help har Marie," Patrick's voice boomed throughout the garage causing the woman tied to the chair to shrink back a little. Her eyes flared with anger when she looked towards her husband with so much animosity that he turned away from her to regard Michael apologetically.

"You know I almost felt a little sorry for you when Caitlin came back to us," Michael moved forward and glared down into Marie's wild eyes. "But that was before you came after Meaghan too."

"Ya owe me tha two a ya," she growled. "I raised yer babby an' ya took har from me."

"You think we owe you?" Michael asked incredulously as he shook his head. "You conspired with Fiona's mother to take Caitlin from her and now we have her back you want to take Meaghan?"

"She shoul' be mine…she—"

"She is _MY_ daughter," Michael's voice rose as he stepped closer, the anger in his words causing Patrick to turn back around to face him. Bobby O'Neil desperately tried to shuffle away from where he was restrained directly behind Marie, but he couldn't move.

Marie shrank down in her chair but her apparent fear only lasted a few seconds before she broke into a disjointed grin as she stared up at him fearlessly.

"Wha' ya goin' ta do? Hit me? Ya think I haven' been hit befer now?"

"MARIE—"

"Ya ca' shu' yer mouth Patrick Glenanne," she hissed, her voice slicing through his. "Ya never wanted ta help me ta keep tha babby."

"_SHE_ wasn' OURS!" Patrick yelled angrily as he threw his hands in the air.

"She wa' MINE."

"She wa' me sister's babby an' ya poisoned me mammy's mind whe' ya decided ta take har. Both a ya a guilty a ruinin' me sister's life." Looking towards Michael he shook his head when he tried to apologise. "I should a stopped it bu' I though' they were righ'. I didn' know thay'd planned it…ya have ta tell me sister I'm sorry."

"You can prove it to her by making sure you don't let your wife come here again," Michael told him, unable to hide the anger from his eyes as he pointed his finger at the woman tied to the chair. "My daughter is terrified. She five years old and she's scared of _HER_."

"I'm sorry Michael," Patrick told him quietly as he shot an accusing stare towards his wife. "I ca' assure ya tha' no one will be back fer either a ya babbies."

"Really?" Michael asked, less than convinced by Patrick's promise of them never returning. "How do you expect me to believe you now when you let her come back a second time?"

"She won' be back," Patrick told him again. "An neither will O'Neil."

"Ya ca' leave me ou' a this," Bobby O'Neil groused as he tried to move his head enough to see Patrick's face. "I didn' come ta steal ya babby, I jus' wanted ya sister…she's worth a lot ta—"

The second the words were out of his mouth, Patrick's fist connected with the side of his face. His head snapped sideways, shattering his nose that had only stopped bleeding an hour before. He screamed in pain and muttered a few apologetic words only to clamp his mouth closed before another blow came.

"Ya think tha's better than takin' a child?" Patrick seethed as he hovered close to O'Neil's face. "Yer a dead man O'Neil…so start sayin' yer prayers."

"Ya don' scare me," he spat back, his emotionless eyes flaring with defiance. "Yer won'—"

The fist that connected with his face silenced him within seconds and when he turned his head to find the source the image that greeted him caused him to clamp his mouth closed. He had only heard about Michael McBride from his brother, and even Thomas had only heard of his name. He was supposed to be this feared killer from Kilkenny who was sweet on Fiona Glenanne but none of that had bothered him until he'd met the man behind the name.

"That child is _MY_ daughter and that woman is _MY_ wife…you're lucky it's not up to me to get you home because you wouldn't arrive in one _DAMN_ piece."

Keeping silent Bobby lowered his swollen eyes and tried to control the massive headache that had started to burrow deep inside his skull. He hadn't signed up for this; he was in this for revenge and money, not to kidnap little children. Thankfully for him the man beside him diverted his anger onto the woman who was tied up behind him. He couldn't see her but he felt her shoulders flush against his and for some reason all he wanted to do was get away from her.

Michael ignored Patrick's insistence that he left the garage to allow him to deal with the two _prisoners_. Michael though was becoming more agitated with every passing second especially when he knew how strong Fiona was. She didn't break easily and it just made him even angrier when he thought that she had been brought to breaking point by Marie Glenanne.

"Why?"

Marie lifted her eyes up to his and shook her head in confusion. Opening her mouth to speak she clamped it closed again when she saw the fury in his glare.

"I…"

"This whole thing was never about Caitlin or Meaghan was it?" he seethed angrily as he tried to control his breathing. "This was all about taking what Fiona had."

"She ha' it all," Marie spat, her voice lashing out at him. "She ha'—"

"What? A baby?"

"No, she ha' love…we all knew ya loved har an' I wanted tha'," her words ground out to leave both Michael and Patrick to scare down at her in shock.

"Wait…you expect me to believe you did all of this to Fiona because you were jealous?"

"Yeah, I wa'…I still am. Ya left har an' ya still love har. I wan' ta have tha' kind a love an' I go' it through Caitlin, bu'…" she looked towards her husband, piercing him with fierce eyes. "Tha' bastard took har away from me."

"You raised her and we're grateful to you for that," Michael started, "but she's our daughter. You keeping her was never what Fiona wanted—"

"So why di' she no' come back fer har then?" she snapped back. "If she wa' so desperate ta have har back why didn' she try ta come an' take har?"

"You know the answer to that Marie," Michael told her, trying desperately to keep his voice and his emotions under control but he was beginning to fail miserably. Biting back the anger that rose up inside him he fixed her with a steady glare as he gritted his teeth. "_YOU…TOLD_…O'NEIL…"

"It kept har away didn' it?" she grinned. "An it wa' all workin' ou' fine until she rang har mammy ta say she wa' comin' back."

"So you decided to tell O'Neil where she was living so he'd come here to finish what he'd started," he told her matter of factly as he folded his arm across his chest. "So when it backfired and O'Neil got caught you didn't expect to lose everything did you?"

"I—"

"YOU tried to keep our child when YOU turned Fiona's OWN mother against her…don't try looking for sympathy out of me!"

Turning away from her he directed his furious gaze towards Patrick Glenanne who had suddenly grown very pale. Nodding his head he walked passed him and stopped at the garage door before he turned around to face all three of them.

"Patrick if she comes back here…"

"She won' Michael," Patrick told him quickly, nodding his head as he spoke. "She'll never bother any a ya again, least of all ya babbies."

"You're Fiona's brother and I'll respect that but I promise you Patrick, I _WILL_ Kill her if she shows up here one more time. I won't hesitate."

"An' I promise ya righ' now she won' be back—"

"Ya think I won' stop?" Marie spat, the venom in her words causing both men to turn towards her. Her face twisted into a half smile as she goaded both men. "I'll ge' wha' I came fer even if it takes me ferever…I won' stop!"

Michael reached for the gun in his waistband but Patrick stopped him, his eyes imploring him to walk away. When Michael wasn't backing down Patrick stood in front of him and kept him from moving and glanced back at his wife before he turned his head back towards Michael again.

"If anyone's goin' ta kill me wife it'll be me," Patrick lowered his voice and watched as the realisation dawned in Michael's eyes. "Thare's only one way ta stop har an' we both know wha' tha' is."

Michael nodded solemnly and stepped backwards out of the garage, closing the door behind him. He knew by the look in Patrick's eyes that he'd reached the end of any patience he'd been clinging on to. Moving away from the closed door he tried to block out the sounds he had got so used to hearing when he was a child. The sounds made his stomach churn and he was more than grateful that Sam was waiting for him when he walked back into the kitchen.

"How'd it go brother?" he asked cheerily. "So the nutball is seriously crazy ain't she?"

"Yeah," he nodded numbly, his instincts telling him to leave right now to return to his family. Taking a deep breath he turned towards his friend and patted his shoulder in thanks before he made his way towards the door again. "I need to get home to the girls…tell my mom I said bye, okay?"

"Sure thing Mikey," Sam nodded curiously, his eyes following his friend as he walked out of the door. He made a point of making sure he'd ask what happened later when the threesome in the garage had gone on their way…but until then he could only speculate on what had spooked his friend.

000

Fiona greeted Michael with a bright smile when he came into the house carrying an armful of books. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her snuggled on the couch with both of their daughters fast asleep by her side. Meaghan was lying flat on the cushions, her tiny body secured against the back of the couch and beside her, her big sister had fallen asleep holding onto her hand.

Closing the door behind him he placed the books onto the table and made his way towards her, kneeling by her side as he looked down at the two little girls. He couldn't remember a time when he had felt so happy yet so troubled all in one moment and even though he was trained to not become emotionally involved with people and situations like Marie, he couldn't seem to escape from those sounds he'd heard when he'd left.

"Hey," she whispered as she lifted her hand to thread their fingers together on her knee. "Is everything okay?"

Swallowing hard Michael realised that this woman probably knew him better than anyone had ever known him, and hiding anything from her was pointless.

"I'm fine," he lied, hoping he could stave off her questions for a little while longer. "How long have they been asleep?"

"About half an hour," she told him softly as she kept her eyes on him. "Michael what happened?"

Her question rocked his conscience and he lowered his head onto her lap and closed his eyes, knowing that she could heal him with her touch. Almost instantly she moved her hand to his head, her fingers spreading wide to thread through his hair. It always amazed him how she knew instantly how to heal him.

"I think…" his voice sounded foreign to his own ears when he spoke, but he swallowed hard and tried again. "I think Patrick is going to make sure Marie never reaches Ireland."

His words caused Fiona's hand to still in his hair and she lowered her eyes to watch him worriedly. He was looking so lost and so torn, something she had only ever seen in him once before and that had been when he had hit her by accident. She'd known back then that he was hiding some deep traumatic emotions somewhere inside him and it didn't take a rocket scientist to realise that he had survived some sort of abuse.

She released the breath she'd been holding and manoeuvred her hands so that she could smooth one over his back while the over stayed tangled in his hair. Bending forward she doubled herself over until her head was resting over his, her ear resting on her hand.

"He wouldn't do it," she whispered. "Even though he says he will he—"

"He was hitting her," he whispered, his voice soft as he spoke. "I left the garage after she told us she wouldn't stop but I…"

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know…but…"

"Michael, whatever happened in that garage—"

When Michael's cell phone began to ring they scrambled apart so that he could pull it out of his pocket before the sound woke the two girls. Switching it on hurriedly he held the phone to his ear and walked towards the kitchen, keeping his voice low.

"_Mikey, I thought ya should know Fiona's brother worked O'Neil over real good. The guy's bleeding all over your mom's floor and she ain't happy."_

"Sam," he whispered. "What do you mean it was O'Neil? I thought it was Marie he was—"

"Marie?" Sam scoffed. "That nutball was still complaining that she was tied to a chair when I went in. As far as I could tell she was fine."

"So it was O'Neil?" Michael asked numbly, the images from his past slowly filtering away. "He was hitting O'Neil…"

"Yeah that's what I said…I'm just callin' to let you know Patrick's heading out in an hour if you've got like any last words."

Michael closed his eyes and released the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. There wasn't anything else he wanted to say to Patrick or the other two with him for that matter. Turning his head back to the couch he could see Fiona watching him worriedly but he offered her a hopeful smile and turned his head away again.

"There's nothing I have to say to any of them Sam…just…do me a favour and make sure they get on that boat?"

"Sure thing brother," Sam told him. "I'll be in touch."

"Thanks Sam." Closing the phone he looked down at the blank screen and felt the dread that had been eating away at him slowly starting to dissipate. He hoped that this whole nightmare was finally over and that Patrick would keep him promise to keep Marie away from his family forever.

Turning back around he made his way towards the table and placed his phone onto it before he moved to crouch down beside the couch again. His eyes lingered over his little girls and he knew that he would keep them both safe no matter what it cost him. His instincts were telling him to take his family and get the hell out of Miami but he fought it back with the strength Fiona had given him. This whole nightmare had started a long time ago, and Fiona had bared the brunt of it on her own…now he was finally feeling everything she had gone through.

Reaching out to lay his hand over hers he leaned in closer and pressed a kiss onto her temple and allowed his lips to linger there for a few seconds until he moved across to her ear.

"I'm sorry I left you to deal with Marie and your family alone…if—"

"Michael," she whispered his name, her voice filtering through his words to eliminate all of the guilt that had found its way into his eyes. "It's over now…we have a life…we have a family…"

"I know that…I just…" closing his eyes he sighed heavily as he open his lids to regard her thoughtfully. She had been through so much, she had endured so much pain yet she had become this incredible, stable woman… a goddess in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter," she told him as she threaded their fingers together. "Whatever happened is in the past and I don't want to think of it any more…can we just live our lives with our girls…"

Michael's eyes filled with emotion as he lifted their joined hands to place a kiss into the centre of her palm. He loved her more than he had ever loved anyone in his life, she had given him a family and happiness, destroying the beliefs from his childhood that families only caused each other pain.

"Yes," he whispered, his lips lifting into a smile as he spoke. "Yes…"

"Okay then," she grinned. "You can start by watching the girls while I use the bathroom."

Her laugh was infectious and he broke out into a wide grin as he released her hand and got to his feet. Holding out his hand again he waited for her to reach out to take it before he pulled her to her feet. For a few moments they stood there watching each other, both of them reluctant to let each other go.

"Marry me," he whispered, the words slipping out of his mouth before he could stop them. "For real this time."

Fiona's eyes widened in surprise but before she could reply Caitlin opened her eyes and turned to look at them.

"Daddy?" she asked, her voice croaking a little as she carefully pulled herself away from her baby sister. Looking around at her parents she manoeuvred herself off of the couch and got to her feet before she surged towards them, throwing her arms around any part of them that she could reach.

Fiona smiled down at her daughter before she lifted her eyes back up to Michael, love emanating from every part of her. Reaching forward she placed a kiss onto his lips and pulled back to whisper one word against his mouth…

"Yes."

"Yes?" he asked, consumed by the elation that soared throughout his body. "Yes?"

"Yes," she beamed as she planted another kiss onto his lips before she pulled away to sink down onto her knees to pull her beloved daughter into her arms.

Michael took the opportunity of Caitlin and Fiona's distraction to scoop Meaghan up from the couch to cradle her sleeping form in his arms. He gazed down at the baby nestled against him and couldn't remember a time when he had ever been this contented. He had the woman he loved and their two precious children and even though Marie had tried to ruin it she hadn't succeeded, she had only managed to make them all so much closer.

Turning towards the couch again he sat down and manoeuvred Meaghan so that she was lying in the crook of his arm and watched as Fiona and Caitlin slowly pulled apart.

"Daddy brought you some new books," Fiona told her with a smile. "Why don't you go and see if he'll read one to you while I use the bathroom?"

Caitlin gasped and nodded excitedly before she turned towards her father, her eyes aglow with delight.

"Did ya find me some new ones?" she asked quickly, holding her hands onto his knee as she bounced on the spot.

"I did honey," he laughed. "Over on the table."

Caitlin grinned happily and looked over into the centre of the room before she spotted the pile of new books on the wooden table. Her eyes grew wide when she quickly moved towards them, grabbing at them all at once when she spotted some new titles, honing in on the ones that said 'Mog'.

Michael watched her as she turned each book over individually, her eyes scanning the words on the back until she stopped at one and stuck it beneath her arm. Piling the rest of the books back into a stack she turned back towards her father and ran back to the couch to climb up beside him.

"Can ya read this one ta me daddy?" she asked with a wide grin. "I like Mog tha best."

He'd known that of course, and it was that fact that had caused him to troll through every book store he could find to seek out as many of the books about her favourite cat. When she leaned against his arm and opened the first page he found himself unable to take his eyes off of her. He didn't think he could ever let her go, not even when she was older and wanting to date…no…neither of his girls were ever going to date…EVER.

"Come on daddy," Caitlin's voice broke through his thoughts and he looked down at her to find her eyes fixed on him. "Ya need ta start readin'."

"I'm sorry honey I was just thinking about something."

"Ya wa'," she giggled. "wa' ya thinkin' abou' a cat?"

"A cat?" he asked incredulously. "Why would I be thinking about a cat?"

"Because we're readin' Mog, silly," she told him matter of fact before she nudged his side playfully.

The baby in his arms stirred and he watched as the little girl slowly opened her eyes to blink up at him. He was so lost in her that he didn't see Fiona come back into the room and sit down beside Caitlin. Meaghan kept his attention for a little while longer, her bright eyes looking so much like her mother's and he knew right in this moment that whatever happened, he would remember this moment for as long as he lived.

"So, is daddy going to read to you?" Fiona asked her daughter noting that she had folded her arms across her chest impatiently.

"Daaaddddddyy," Caitlin whined, bringing his attention back to her. "We haven' even started ye' an' now mammy's back."

Michael lifted his eyes to the woman who was watching him from the opposite end of the couch and he couldn't help but smile at her before he focused on the book Caitlin had open in her lap. Bending to kiss her forehead he rested his cheek atop his daughter's head and began to read, content to be in the company of his family.

000

Almost two weeks later, Sam watched his friend pace backwards and forward as he looked down at his watch for the fourth time in less than a minute. After everything he had seen this man do, he couldn't believe that a small church would have been enough to cause him to become unhinged.

"Relax Mike, she'll be here."

Michael stopped pacing and nodded nervously, he'd never felt like this before. Here he was, about to make Fiona Glenanne into a Westen and he couldn't seem to settle. They hadn't heard a thing from Fiona's family and they had been too busy planning a very fast wedding to even think of anything else, he just couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something had happened on Patrick's trip back to Ireland.

Before he could dwell on anything everything happened at once. His phone vibrated in his pocket and Sam pointed to the car that was approaching with Fiona, Madeline and the girls inside it.

Pulling his cell phone out of his pants pocket he looked down at the screen to see Sean's number highlighted in the window. Glancing up at the car he quickly turned the phone on and placed it against his ear, Sean's name coming out in a hurried gasp.

"Michael, am I catchin' ya at tha wrong time?"

"You could say that," Michael told him quietly. "What's up Sean?"

"Oh, I'm jus' callin' ta tell ya tha' Patrick arrived home in one piece…bu' I can' say tha same fer Marie or O'Neil."

"What?" Michael asked, his voice a little louder than he'd planned. Lowering his voice he spoke again. "What happened?"

"Patrick sai' tha' Marie go' inta a fight wit' O'Neil on tha ship, an' tha pair a tham ended up goin' over tha side…"

"What? So—"

"Thay're bot' dead Michael, Patrick said thay pulled Marie's body ou' an hour later an' thay never found O'Neil."

Michael closed his eyes and allowed the relief to wash over him. This was it, it was finally over. He knew hearing of someone's death on his wedding day shouldn't have made him so elated but it did. Whispering his thanks into the phone he switched it off and stuffed it back into his pocket before he turned just in time to greet his mother who was holding Meaghan in her arms.

"Here's your daddy sweetheart," she cooed as she smiled down at the baby in her arms. "Now your daddy can see how beautiful you are in your new dress…yes he can…"

Michael gazed down at his baby girl and traced his finger over her cheek. His touch earned him a wide smile and felt himself fall in love with her a little more. He grinned at her when she grabbed hold of his finger and he tore his eyes away a few seconds later to look down at the car.

"Mom," Michael asked worriedly. "Where's Fi and Caitlin?"

"They'll be here in a minute," she told him with a proud smile. "Now let's get you inside before they arrive. It's bad luck to see the bride before she gets into the church."

"Mom, I saw her this morning—"

"You're going to do this right," Madeline warned, her eyes as stern as her voice. "Now _GET_ inside before you see her."

Michael's eyebrows rose dramatically and he suddenly felt like he was five years old. Nodding obediently he bent down to kiss Meaghan's head before he untangled his finger from her grasp and followed Sam into the church, all the while looking behind him.

"There you see sweetheart," Madeline told her granddaughter who was gazing up at her with wide eyes. "That's how you have to handle your daddy."

When a second car pulled up she turned to greet the little girl who climbed out onto the sidewalk. Caitlin was wearing a matching white dress the same as her sister's and she twirled around so that the skirt flew up.

"Do ya like me dress nana?" she asked excitedly. "It's like a princess dress."

"Honey you look beautiful," Madeline told her with a proud smile before her attention was diverted onto the vision that came to stand before her.

Fiona handed Caitlin a small posy consisting of cream roses before she smoothed her white dress over her body. She fidgeted a little until she lifted her eyes to meet her soon to be mother in law's gaze and offered her a nervous smile.

"Oh sweetheart," Madeline gasped, her eyes filling with emotional tears. "You look so beautiful."

Fiona's cheeks flushed a little as she looked towards the church. She never thought that this day would ever arrive. She had always dreamt that one day she would marry…she just didn't realise it would be to a man she loved so deeply.

"Okay," she breathed. "Let's do this."

"What about walking down the aisle?" Madeline asked, feeling more tears spring to her eyes. "No new bride should walk alone."

"I have someone to walk me Madeline," Fiona told her with a coy smile. "The chauffeur."

"The…" shaking her head in disbelief Madeline was about to berate her for asking a random stranger when her words died on her lips.

"Hi mom," Nate greeted her, his wide grin causing his mother to stare at him open mouthed.

"Nate…but…"

"Can we do this later please," he grinned as he crooked his arm and offered it to Fiona. "We have a wedding to get to."

TBC in the final chapter


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has left reviews on here and on twitter. Thank you to everyone who has PM'd me and for all of the favourite story and author adds. I have appreciated every single one of your comments on this and all of my other stories. **

**Thank you also to my wonderful friends Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for being such great friends and for reading through parts of this final chapter for me. **

**Here's the final chapter. Thank you for staying with me throughout Caitlin and Meaghan's stories.**

16

Madeline couldn't keep her eyes off of her youngest son, her smile slowly fading into one of annoyance. Shaking her head she sighed dramatically and shot him a hurt look, causing him to launch into a wave of apologies that so far were unable to placate her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked huffily. "You—"

"Mom, I'm sorry there just wasn't any time…Mike called me and I came right away." Removing Fiona's arm from his he stepped closer to offer his mother one of the smiles that always seemed to disarm her and watched triumphantly as her eyes softened.

"Okay," she sighed, her voice lowering when Meaghan squealed in her arms.

"Hey," Nate grinned, his eyes watering with pride when he bent to place a kiss onto the top of his baby niece's head. "And how'd you get to be so big huh?"

"She's goin' ta eat real food soon Uncle Nate," Caitlin announced when she leant into her mother's side. Looking up at Fiona she smiled brightly. "It is soon isn' it mammy?"

"Yep," Fiona grinned. "Another few weeks and we'll try her on some baby rice."

Caitlin's smile melted away and she pulled a face that indicated her distaste. She didn't like to eat rice and to think that her baby sister had to eat it caused her to shake her head in disbelief.

"Bu' mammy, is she doesn' like it she'll never eat anythin'."

Her words brought a smile to Fiona's lips and she bent to place a kiss onto her hair before she stood back up and laid her hand on top of her head.

"It's not like the rice you don't like baby," she assured the little girl who wasn't so convinced. "And you can help convince her to try it because she does everything you want her to."

The little girl pondered on her words and slowly broke out into a smile. Nodding her head enthusiastically she sighed happily when her Uncle Nate turned his attention onto her. She watched him curiously when he stepped closer and reached down to grasp one of her hands in his before he lifted it to his lips to place a kiss onto her fingers.

"You get more beautiful every time I see you," he told her with an affectionate smile. "You look just like your mom."

Caitlin gasped and beamed him a bright smile as she grasped onto his hand. She looked up and glanced between her mother and Nate before she moved closer to wrap her arms around her uncle's waist.

"Are ya goin' ta stay fer longer this time?" she asked him with bright adoring eyes. "Daddy go' me some new books ta read."

Nate couldn't help but return her smile with a bright one of his own. He'd never really been a man who got on that well with children but the second he'd met this little girl she had shown him a side of himself that he'd never known existed. He'd been so shocked at first; his initial thought being one of disbelief until he'd seen his brother's interactions with his daughter. That disbelief had quickly turned into envy when he realised that his eldest brother had a family life that they had never had…

_He stared down the phone in disbelief and for a few moments his mother's words wouldn't register. Michael and Fiona had a kid? When the heck had that happened? Why hadn't they told him sooner? Shaking his head he placed the phone back against his ear and tried to listen to what his mother was telling him but his mouth got ahead of his brain and stopped her mid sentence._

"_So, you're telling me that Mike has a kid and no one thought to tell me?"_

"_That's what I'm trying to tell you honey, no one knew, not even Michael—"_

"_What?" he asked, his voice loaded with disbelief. "How could he not know? Fiona's tiny but even I would notice she was pregnant!"_

"_Listen, stop asking questions and just come home. I promise we'll explain everything when you get here, okay."_

_Shaking his head in disbelief he sighed heavily and found himself agreeing even though he had no idea what to expect. He was still in shock when he closed the phone and slumped down into a chair. His brother was a dad? Wow…_

_He was still trying to think of some kind of explanation when he got off the plane the next day, but when he found Michael waiting for him he wasn't prepared to see a little girl clinging onto his hand either._

_His mouth dropped open and he stared at his brother who was already walking towards him with a look in his eyes that he'd never seen before. Nate could already see a change in his older brother; there was something about him that made him seem more mature…more…human…_

"_Nate," Michael grinned when he led the little girl towards him only to stop when they were face to face. Glancing down to the child at his side, he indicated his brother to follow his eyes. "Nate this is Caitlin, my daughter."_

_Nate's lips lifted into a grin but the second he looked down at the child who was gazing up at him with Michael's eyes, he knew that everything their mother had told him was true. He opened his mouth to speak but no words would come out, so he settled for a cautious smile and held out his hand for hers._

"_Are ya me Uncle Nate?" she asked, her bright eyes capturing his gaze._

_Nate nodded vigorously and realised that he was being obtuse. This little girl was gazing up at him so innocently and he couldn't even string a sentence together. Realising how odd he must look to her he shook his head in amusement and broke out into a wide grin._

"_Hi," he told her brightly. "I sure am."_

"_Yer daddy's brother?" Letting go of her father's hand she stepped forward, wrapping her fingers around his. She turned back around while she clung to his hand only to reach out to her father and grab his hand again so that she was sandwiched in between them._

_Nate looked across at Michael who shrugged happily when Caitlin began to chatter non stop about her new school and their new house._

"_So," Nate grinned when he looked across at his brother. "Any more surprises I should know about?"_

_Michael's eyes sparked with warmth when he regarded his brother affectionately as they made their way towards the Charger._

"_Fi's pregnant…"_

"Uncle Nate…" Caitlin asked again, her voice bringing him back to the present. "Are ya goin' ta stay fer longer?"

The love in her eyes had always been able to unhinge him and this time it was no different. Bending down he scooped her up to hold her against his hip so that he could cover her face in wet sloppy kisses, delighting in her squeals of laughter. When he pulled away he placed her back onto the floor and kept a hold of her hand.

"I'll stay for a while honey," he told her happily when he glanced back up towards his soon to be official sister-in-law. "Are you ready?"

000

Inside the chapel Michael waited and nervously fiddled with the edge of his jacket. Sam watched him as he rocked back and forth on his heels and placed his hand on his shoulder to keep him still. He could count on one hand the amount of times he had seen his friend like this, but he had to admit that he was a little nervous himself, even though his two friends had been unofficially devoted to each other for so many years.

"Mike," he urged. "Would you calm down, she'll be here."

Michael raised his eyes to look over at his friend and sighed apologetically, "Sorry."

"Look, go and sit down. I'll go and see what's holding them up."

"Yeah," he breathed, nodding his head as he looked towards the front of the chapel one more time before he turned away again. "Okay."

Sam chuckled to himself; he'd never seen Michael this nervous before. Shaking his head he began to walk away towards the entrance to see what was taking the wedding party so long, but he stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of the radiant bride. Letting out an appreciative whistle he grinned happily when his actions earned him a disapproving tut from Michael's mother.

"Fi, you look…" he words died away and he felt his mouth grow dry when he tried to think of a compliment that didn't make him sound like a hormonal teenager, but luckily for him his salvation came in the form a five year old who stood before him and did a full spin to show off her dress.

"Uncle Sam do ya like me dress?"

Sam's eyes slipped down to her and he immediately felt his heart melt. Nodding his head his face lit up with a wide grin when he dropped to one knee and pulled her in for a tight hug.

"You look beautiful honey," he told her as he released her to move backwards and get back to his feet. "Just like a princess."

Caitlin beamed him a smile and grabbed hold of his hand, bouncing up and down on the spot.

"Where's daddy?"

"Your dad's inside honey, in fact he'll feel a lot better when he sees all of you."

"Is Michael okay?" Fiona asked him worriedly when she repositioned her small bouquet. "Is—"

"Honestly Fi, you're as bad as he is!" Sam scoffed. "He's fine, he just wants to get started so…"

"Okay," nodding her head dramatically Fiona nudged Nate and offered him a smile. "Let's do this."

Sam nodded and released Caitlin's hand and tapped her on the nose affectionately before he turned away to retreat back inside the chapel.

Nate watched his retreating form and turned towards Fiona. He couldn't remember a time when he'd felt this amount of emotion all in one moment. "You make my brother happy."

"He makes me happy too," she smiled as she placed her hand into the crook of his arm.

"Okay, let's go inside," Madeline told them officiously when she reached down to usher Caitlin inside the church. "Are you ready sweetheart?"

Caitlin nodded emphatically and held her small posy in both hands before she glanced behind her to make sure her mother and Nate were following.

Inside the chapel Sam came to stand beside Michael, a huge grin on his face "Man you are gonna be blown away, Fi looks great."

Michael's head turned towards the doors and swallowed heavily when he saw first his mother holding Meaghan, and then Caitlin walk in. He felt his mouth grow dry when he saw the vision that followed behind them just a few seconds later. Michael's heart almost stopped at the sight of Fiona, she had always had the power to take his breath away and this time was no different. The white dress she wore clung to her slender waist and fell down to her feet in a pool of silk. He never thought it would have been possible for her to stop his heart, but she had.

His eyes followed her as she came to stand beside him, falling in love with her all over again in one precious moment. Taking hold of her hand he lifted it to his lips to press a kiss onto her fingers before his eyes moved to hers.

"You look beautiful," he whispered softly, lowering her hand only to keep hold of her fingers.

Meaghan's babbling took their attention away from each other and they turned towards the minister who stood in front of them, casting both of them a bright smile. He regarded the couple standing before him and he knew instantly that these two people were destined to be together for a lifetime. Nodding his head he smiled down at Fiona before he addressed the small group that were gathered behind her.

"Michael and Fiona wanted you all to be here to share their special day," he spoke, his voice echoing around the small chapel. "We are all here to witness the love of two people who have chosen to enter into a life of love and commitment, pledging themselves in mind, body and soul."

Michael glanced across to Fiona and smiled adoringly as the sounds around them faded away to leave only them. He could hear the minister speaking, his words of devotion falling around them as he found himself whispering in acknowledgement when the minister asked him if he promised to love Fiona and no other for as long as he lived.

Turning his head towards the minister he nodded and returned his eyes to Fiona, his lips merging into a smile when he whispered, "I will."

Fiona smiled up at him, the warm blush on her cheeks merging with the love in her eyes when she repeated those same words back to Michael without taking her eyes off of him. With her promise spoken aloud she squeezed his fingers in a silent acknowledgement, one that only the two of them had only ever known…she loved him so much, she always had.

When Sam stepped forward with their wedding rings she found her eyes drawn to the familiar gold bands, only this time they were for real. She watched mesmerised as Michael spoke soft words to her before he slipped the gold band onto her finger, sealing his devotion to her in one small movement. For a few moments she was transfixed with the gold band adorning her finger, it wasn't that different from the previous ring that she had worn for over a year, but this…this one was special…forever.

Lifting her gaze up to his she offered him a watery smile, one that spoke volumes. Her eyes melted into his when she took the larger gold band and spoke of her love for him and no other as she watched the golden wedding ring move over his finger and slide down into place. This felt right, so perfect…they were one, together, solidified into a commitment that bound them together forever.

Their eyes met once again, holding each other's gaze in total devotion. They had always been destined for this moment, ever since that first day back in Ireland when their eyes had met for the very first time. Fiona could feel her heart swell with love, and not just for him but for their daughters and the family she held around her. She finally had what she'd always wanted.

Squeezing her fingers, Michael grinned down at her when she seemed to be drifting off into her memories. He knew what she was feeling because he felt it too. There had been a shift in the world tonight. Michael Westen had publicly declared his love and devotion to Fiona Glenanne…and the world _didn't _end.

Fiona blushed beneath his scrutiny, and in that one moment she felt like she was the most important woman in the whole world. She didn't think she would ever forget the emotions of this day and when the minister's voice broke through her thoughts she tore her eyes away from Michael and tried to focus on the man who stood before them.

"You have declared your love for one another before god," he told them, his kind eyes growing so much brighter. "It gives me great pleasure to pronounce you as husband and wife…and you can now kiss your bride."

Fiona turned back to gaze up at the man she loved, the warm smile melting away when he descended closer to press his lips to hers, holding them together for what seemed like an eternity. Stepping closer she melted into him and fell into the kiss, keeping it loving and chaste until she reluctantly pulled away to smile up at him.

A sniffle behind them caused Fiona to turn her head to focus on Madeline who was dabbing her eyes with a tissue. The older woman cast her an adoring smile and didn't even try to hide the happy tears that rolled down her cheeks.

Beside her Nate clutched Meaghan to his chest and looked every part the doting uncle as he gazed down at her pulling every kind of face he could think of to make her smile. The more she giggled the more he did it and for a moment Fiona was just content to bask in the love that surrounded her. Michael's soft voice brought her eyes back to him and he nodded towards the minister who indicated for them to follow him so that they could both sign the register.

Caitlin watched them walk away and leant into her grandmother's side. She lifted her eyes to look up at the older woman and instantly gasped in a worried breath until Madeline pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I'm okay sweetheart," she told her through a thick voice. "I'm just happy."

Caitlin clung on tight and slowly started to pull away when she heard her mother's voice as they came back into the chapel. Lifting her free hand to Madeline's face she wiped the wetness away from her cheeks before she kissed her.

"Daddy an' Mammy a comin' back."

"Thank you sweetheart," Madeline chuckled as she pulled the little girl against her so that she could plant a kiss on top of her head, nestling against her until Michael and Fiona came to the stand before them.

Sam surged forward and shook Michael's hand before pulling him into an awkward hug. His wide grin didn't fall away when he slapped Michael on the back joyously before he moved towards Fiona to gather her up into a tight embrace that left her gasping for breath. When he finally released her he stepped back only long enough to let her catch her breath before he surged forward again and placed a kiss onto her cheek.

"Congratulations," he beamed, unable to hide the adoration in his eyes. "It's about time!"

"Yeah bro, you finally made Fi into a Westen," Nate teased, his grin widening when he saw the look his brother gave him. "I'm just sayin'!"

Michael shook his head in amusement before he offered Fiona his arm. The moment she linked her arm with his he winked down at his eldest daughter and watched as her face blossomed into one big smile when he indicated for her to lead them out of the chapel.

Nodding her head Caitlin jumped down to place both feet on the floor and held on tight to her small posy before she pulled her grandmother to her feet.

"Come on nana," she beamed. "Ya can walk wit' me."

"Thank you sweetheart," Madeline gushed happily as she took her hand and allowed her to lead her and the others out of the small chapel and back into the warm sunshine.

000

The private room Sam had arranged for all of them was set out with white decorations and silver balloons. There was one big table in the middle of the room with a three tier wedding cake in the centre, the lavish decorative icing dominating the cake.

Fiona looked over the room with a wistful smile. Everything felt so surreal and she hoped that this wasn't all just a wonderful dream that she would wake up from at any moment. Moving towards the table she regarded the wedding cake with a mixture of awe and disbelief. The whole thing screamed Barry and before she could open her mouth to ask Madeline if her suspicions were correct, the man in question appeared out of nowhere.

"Fiona," he gasped when he saw her, his eyes almost popping out of his head. "You look…"

"Thanks," she nodded, blushing slightly beneath his scrutiny. She motioned towards the decorations and the large cake in the centre of the table. "This is too much…you shouldn't have."

"I should and I did," Barry grinned. "You and Mike are my friends so…"

Holding up her hand to silence him Fiona offered him another smile and let her eyes wander around the decorated room. Barry was annoying but at times he could be so incredibly sweet. Her lips lifted into a bright smile when she saw her eldest daughter come into the room and gasp when she saw all the decorations. Glancing back at Barry she nodded her thanks before she watched Caitlin's mouth drop open in awe.

Caitlin's eyes grew wide when she looked around the room in wonder. Letting go of Madeline's hand she moved towards the table and wandered around it. Gasping in a breath she looked behind her and ran towards her father who scooped her up and held her against his hip.

"Thare's balloons," she gasped. "Ca' we take some home?"

"I don't see why not," Michael told her softly as he kissed the top of her head. "Maybe we'll sneak some of them out with your grandma."

"Daaddddyyy," Caitlin shook her head and grinned up at him. "It's nana…no' grandma…nana said she doesn' sit in a rockin' chair yet!"

"Okay…okay," he chuckled. "Nana then…better?"

The smile she offered him was enough to make his breath catch in his throat. There were times when she looked so much like her mother it was scary. She had the same pout, the same smile and she knew exactly how to get just what she wanted by batting her eye lashes at him…yep, she was definitely like her mother.

"Do ya like me dress?" she asked him before he could place her back onto the floor. "Mammy got one fer me and one fer Meaghan."

"You look beautiful honey," he told her, kissing her head again. He didn't know if he would ever be able to let her go…ever… "All of you do."

Michael couldn't seem to stop smiling. Looking at his daughter he felt himself melting a little when she gazed up at him with bright, doting eyes. Two years ago he had been driven by his insatiable desire to discover who had burned him. He'd wanted to make that person pay as well as get back into the CIA and he'd hurt Fiona in his quest for vengeance…but she had believed in him enough to stay by his side until that awful day when he'd lashed out and hit her to retain his cover.

That day he'd known all too well what it had been like to live his life without Fiona and he hadn't been prepared for how much it had hurt. When she'd walked out of the loft and not looked back when he'd called her name, he'd felt his heart sink inside his chest. He hadn't realised the full extent of loss until she'd come to him one morning while he was reminiscing over a pile of photographs.

He'd thought the loss would become so unbearable but thanks to Thomas O'Neil the freedom to return to Ireland had all but been taken away from her and even though he hadn't said anything to her at the time, he had been secretly glad. So much so that he'd tried harder to show her how much he loved her, even though he'd never been able to tell her the words. He'd thought he was incapable of speaking them aloud, that his childhood had stunted that part of him…but then Caitlin came into his life.

"Nana said you an' mammy are ya goin' ta stay here tonight… Are ya?" Caitlin asked him softly as she fiddled with his tie. "Do me an' Meaghan have ta stay wit' har?"

Her words caused him to gasp in a breath and despite the happiness of the day he was forced to remember that his children, especially Caitlin, hadn't recovered from Marie and her attempts to rip his family apart. Inclining his head forward he nestled his lips against her temple and moved across to the one of the chairs to pull it out so that he could sit them both down.

"We're only going to be away from you and Meaghan for one night," he told her reassuringly, peppering kisses into her hair. "Sam will be with you at our house, but me and mommy will be home really early."

Caitlin thought about his words carefully before she slowly nodded and buried her head beneath his chin.

"Do ya promise not ta stay away fer too long?"

Michael closed his eyes and tugged her tighter as he fought to decide whether spending their wedding night away from their girls was really the best idea. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't see his brother moving closer to pull out the chair beside him to sit down.

"Hey," he grinned when Caitlin looked up at him. "Your nana's asking for ya."

The little girl regarded him for a short moment before she broke out into a smile and turned to place a kiss onto her father's cheek.

"Nana wan's me," she told him happily. "I'll ask har if we can take some balloons home."

Michael nodded, his lips merging into a smile when she climbed down from his lap and ran over towards his mother who was standing beside Fiona. He watched silently as Fiona's gaze lifted from her daughter to look over at him. He knew her well enough to know that she was having the same doubts that he was but when she smiled and reached out to take Meaghan from Sam he turned his attention back towards his brother.

"So," Nate grinned. "Look at you all married now…I've gotta hand it to you bro, you surprised me and mom today."

"Huh?" shaking his head, Michael watched him in confusion. "How?"

"Marriage? You and Fi?" shaking his head Nate chuckled behind his hand before he affectionately slapped his brother on the arm. "We're both real proud of ya."

"Hey Mikey," Sam called out before he could answer. "Get your butt over here and grab a beer…we're celebratin' here."

Nate grinned and stood up from his seat only to pull his brother up with him. His eyes lit up with pride when he saw how his older brother's gaze was fixed on his wife and little girls and for a moment that pride flashed into envy, but it was only fleeting and passed before he could even acknowledge it.

"Mom told me what happened with Fiona's family," Nate told Michael's softly as he laid a hand on his shoulder. "I just wanted you to know that I won't let anything happen to your girls Mike…you can count on me."

Michael regarded his brother fondly before he nodded his thanks. Maybe he and Fiona could have their night away after all, especially with Sam and Nate playing bodyguard.

"Thanks Nate. We both appreciate it."

"Hey, we're family," Nate grinned as he turned to leave his brother behind as he made his way back towards his mother.

Michael watched him leave and diverted his gaze onto the woman he loved. At some point he would have to tell her that Marie and O'Neil were gone. It was finally over and from this moment on they could live their lives without waiting for the next big disaster to strike. This was how their story was supposed to end, he knew that now. They had the house, the kids and each other, and when he glanced around to all of the people who had become his family he knew they were going to have their happy life after all…

EPILOGUE

"Michael will you please stop pacing, she'll be home any minute," Fiona sighed when she watched her husband turn away from her to look out of the window again.

"It's her first date," he grumbled when he looked down at his watch. "And her last if she's not back in exactly _two_ minutes."

Shaking her head, Fiona got up from the couch and moved towards him and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She knew he wasn't handing Caitlin's growing up too well, and Sam wasn't coping much better either.

"She's still your little girl," she offered softly as she placed a kiss in between his shoulder blades. "You're still the most important man in her life."

Michael sighed heavily and enclosed his hands over hers, holding them against his chest. He just couldn't help it, he'd watched Caitlin grow from his little girl into a beautiful young woman and on more than one occasion he'd fended off every one of her would be suitors before they could even ask her out on a date. So when she had come home and announced that she had a date for the prom he'd been filled with dread.

"She'll be fine," Fiona reassured him. "Do you remember our first real date?"

Michael's eyes closed with the memory of how they'd escaped from Fiona's brothers when they'd both disappeared into a pub and managed to dance and drink all night without getting any bother from the Glenanne clan.

_They had left the pub in the early hours only to end up in Fiona's tiny flat where there were no prying eyes…_

_They swayed in time with the music, their bodies moulded together as they danced. Fiona's head lifted up to come in direct contact with his eyes. They were hurtling towards a night of passion, he could already feel the stirring of passion deep within him and when her eyes met his he found himself caught in the snare of her gaze._

"_Michael…" she whispered, her voice an intoxicating hum as she gazed into the depths of his eyes. "Ca' ya stay?"_

_His mind screamed at him to make some kind of response, but he seemed to have lost all power of speech. Swallowing hard he thought about what she had just asked him and once again found his whole body on high alert. How could he tell her that her words had caused his whole body to burn with want for her? Closing his eyes briefly, he opened them again to gaze into hers, this time offering her a tiny smile. _

"_Do you really wan' me ta stay?"_

_"Michael…" she spoke his name, her voice breaking into a trembling whisper as she closed the short distance between them to place a soft kiss on the corner of his lips._

_They remained in the same position for what seemed like an eternity just drawing on the strength of their feelings for each other. Unable to take the strain on his heart any longer, Michael slid his hands over her arms to pull her tighter against him and felt her shudder against him. Inclining his head he met her lips with a soft touch of his own, igniting the simmering spark between them into a full burst of heated flame._

_The invisible wall crashed down between them as their mouths collided in a kiss bordering on desperation as they both sought to leave the months of frustration behind them._

_Pulling back suddenly, Fiona stared into his eyes with utter shock. He knew by the smouldering desire in her eyes that she had felt the surge of passion too, and for the first time he finally understood what it was like to feel real heat… real desire. _

_"Fiona," he whispered softly as he leant towards her again, collecting another kiss, this time taking his time to savour her._

_He was lost, completely lost. The swell of undying passion for her washed over his body as he felt her sink into his chest, returning his kiss with the same amount of adoration that he poured into hers._

_When their need for breath became all too urgent, they pulled apart slowly, their lips still joined with tiny lingering kisses. Breaking his lips from hers, Michael stepped closer to wrap his arms around her body, pulling her to him in a desperate embrace. For the first time he knew what it felt like to be wanted and he didn't think he could ever give up this feeling. For the first time in many, many years his mind was clear._

_Drawing away from her, he lifted his head so that he could gaze down into the sanctuary of her eyes. Lifting a hand he traced his fingers over her face lovingly and when her eyes fluttered closed in compete abandonment, he thought his heart might just burst with all these newly discovered feelings. Smiling down at her again, he leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead, his lips lingering over her skin._

"_I'll stay," he whispered as his lips dropped to her throat, kissing his way over her soft skin. "Fi…"_

_When she stepped away from him his eyes flared with worry that all too soon dissipated when she stood back to unclasp the buttons on her shirt one by one until she stood semi naked before him. His eyes burned with desire and his body led him forward when he took hold of her offered hand and allowed her to lead him into her bedroom…_

"You're thinking of our first night together," Fiona chuckled as she tugged him back tighter against her chest. "Did you know I planned to have my way with you?"

"You did?" Turning in her arms Michael looked down at her with wide eyes and watched in awe as she transformed into the woman he had met all those years ago. "So you led us back to your flat…"

"Yep," she grinned. "I wanted you…and I know you wanted me too…"

"I did," he hummed as he slipped his arms over her lower back to hold her against him to sway in time with music only they could hear.

"I loved you even then," she smiled. "I knew from that first moment…"

Lowering his head Michael caught her lips with his own, kissing her with as much love as he had the first time they had kissed. She sighed into his mouth, the small sound igniting the fire that still burned between them and he lost himself in her.

"Not _again_…Will you two just get a room…"

The voice coming from one of the bedrooms pulled them apart and they both turned to see Meaghan looking at them with distaste.

"Very funny," Fiona told her with a smile as she clasped onto Michael's hand, squeezing it once before she released him and moved towards their youngest daughter. "What are you doing up?"

"I…" Meaghan opened her mouth to make up some kind of excuse but she knew that her mother could see right through her. "Is Cate home yet?"

"No baby, she'll be home soon," Fiona told her as she held out her hand. "Come on, I'll make you some cocoa."

"Mom I'm thirteen—"

"So now you're too old for hugs _and_ cocoa?" Fiona asked, disappointment flaring in her eyes. "Meggie…"

"It's okay mom," Meaghan grinned as she stepped forward to engulf her mother into a tight embrace. "Cocoa sounds good."

Michael shook his head and wondered how Fiona could be so calm. He couldn't settle and found himself returning to the window once more as he pulled the blind open so that he could watch for any signs of his eldest daughter's return. The longer he looked the slower the time seemed to go and he found himself getting more and more agitated. Glancing down at his watch once more he debated on calling Sam to join him in going down to the school to barge inside and demand to know where his little girl was, but he abandoned that thought the second a cars headlights highlighted the room.

Breathing out a sigh of relief he stepped back from the window and shot a grin towards his wife and daughter, "She's back."

"Mom, is daddy going to be this unbearable when I go out on a date?"

Michael shot around and glared at Meaghan, his eyes narrowing as he shook his head. "Oh no, you're _never_ going to date, ever…"

Meaghan flashed him a grin and took the mug of cocoa that her mother passed her and lifted it to her lips. She knew her father was worrying over nothing, she had no interest in boys and she wasn't ever going to go all gooey eyed like her big sister had.

"I'm never going to date daddy," she told him as she watched him pacing just behind the door. "Boys are stupid."

"You won't say that when a boy catches your eye," Fiona told her with a smile. "That's how I knew your dad was the man for me."

"Yeah but—"

The front door opened and Meaghan's words dropped away as she banged her mug onto the counter before she raced around the side to slam into her sister's side. Michael hadn't even had a chance to ask her if she planned on seeing her date again before his two girls hugged each other and started talking so fast that he couldn't get a word in edge ways.

"So did you kiss him?" Meaghan gushed when she fell onto the couch beside her sister and snuggled into her side. "Did you dance all night?"

Coming into the family room Fiona shot her youngest daughter an amused smile when she kept asking so many questions. For someone who said they had no interest in boys, the thirteen year old wanted to know every detail.

Caitlin laughed and wrapped her arms around her sister and pulled her tightly against her before she loosened her hold.

"We danced," Caitlin sighed dreamily. "He stayed with me and he didn't leave me to goof around with his friends like Wendy Brand's date did."

"Oh nooo," Meaghan gasped dramatically, "did she freak?"

Caitlin turned to her baby sister and broke out into a wide grin when she nodded emphatically, causing the younger Westen to throw her arms up triumphantly.

"Good, she deserved it for being such a bi—"

"Meaghan," moving closer Michael looked down at his youngest daughter and shot her a stern gaze before she sighed heavily and shrugged her shoulders.

"Well she is," she insisted. "She's always bragging about everything."

"It's okay Megs," Caitlin grinned when she urged her baby sister to leave her side. "If you want to sleep in my room tonight I'll tell you all about her."

Meaghan gasped and jumped off of the couch before she surged forward again to hug her sister. "Awesome…"

Caitlin watched Meaghan move towards their mother for a brief hug and then race towards their father, her arms enclosing around him before she pulled back to kiss his cheek.

"Night daddy," she grinned as she turned towards her sister. "I'll meet you in your room."

The second she disappeared, Caitlin sat forward and slipped the shoes from her feet and breathed a sigh of relief when she massaged her toes. As soon as the feeling started to return to her feet she smiled up at her parents.

Fiona moved towards her and sat on the arm of the couch, carefully helping Caitlin to remove all of the clips out of her hair.

"So," she asked curiously. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"I did," Caitlin told her, her eyes sparking with delight when she began recounting the events of the evening, only stopping when she watched her father growing paler by the second. Turning towards her mother, Caitlin leaned closer to kiss her cheek before she drew her into a long hug.

"I'm going to head to bed," Fiona told her softly, her lips lifting into a smile. "I'm so happy for you baby."

"Thanks mom…tell Megs I'll be in soon."

Nodding, Fiona ran her fingers across her daughter's cheek before she moved away and looked towards her husband. Making her way towards him she reached for his hand and squeezed his fingers before she turned away from the two of them and started towards her bedroom.

When she had gone Caitlin got up from the couch and walked towards her father with a determined smile. Despite his worries she knew he had her best interest at heart and when she moved her arms around him to hold him tight she heard him release the sigh he'd been holding.

"I love you daddy," she whispered softly when she pulled away to gaze up into his eyes. "Thanks for not giving David a hard time."

"So, you'll be seeing your _date_ again?" he asked, trying to keep his voice devoid of emotion but failing miserably.

Caitlin grinned up at him and shook her head as she moved closer to him again, collecting another hug as she nestled herself against him. "I don't think so."

Michael felt his heart lurch inside his chest and he couldn't understand how he had felt so devastated when his daughter had gone out on her date, and now he was angry that the guy wasn't going to take her out again. What in the world was wrong with him, shouldn't he be elated.

"You're not?"

"No," she told him with a warm smile. "David is a friend, that's all…"

"And you're okay with that?" he asked in confusion. When had his daughter become so wise?

"Goodnight daddy," Caitlin grinned, kissing his cheek once more before she took a step away and retreated back towards her room.

When he hadn't joined her in bed half an hour later, Fiona ventured out into the hallway and stuck her head around the door of Caitlin's room. Her heart surged inside her chest when she saw her two precious daughters snuggled together on top of Caitlin's bed. For a few moments she found herself transformed back to a few years ago when she often found the two of them asleep together.

Michael moved up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder as he leaned closer to kiss her head. His eyes followed hers and he released a heavy sigh against her hair.

"Remember when we used to find them like this all the time?"

"I remember," Fiona sighed. "They've always been so close...even when they were babies."

Tearing his eyes away from his sleeping daughters he took a step backwards and tugged her back with him. Pulling Caitlin's door closed he took hold of Fiona's hand and led her back towards their own room, clicking lights off along the way. It had been a wild ride over these past few years and they had stayed solid and together throughout it all. Colleen Glenanne was still alive and she had rebuilt a relationship of sorts with Fiona. After Marie had died they hadn't heard from Patrick or either of the O'Neil's again so they had all settled into a peaceful life again.

Clicking off the last light Michael led the woman he loved back into their room and gazed over her soft features that were all the more beautiful in the moonlight.

"I love you," he told her softly, knowing that he didn't say those words as often as he should. "I always have."

Fiona smiled as she grasped his hand to give him a gentle tug towards the large bed in the centre of the room. For all of the years they had been together she knew she would never grow tired of him saying those words. Pushing him down onto the bed she hovered beside him before she moved closer to crawl her way up his body.

"Show me," she whispered seductively, the glint in her eyes visible in the dim light as she lowered her head to seal their lips together in a kiss to rival their first…and as their sighs mingled with the silence in the room, they declared their love for each other all over again…content on the knowledge that they were all free…

The End

Thank you for reading


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